The Devil's Maze
by Shade Eido
Summary: Well, this is the it. It's been really great, all of you! Please read this final chapter and enjoy. Thank you all for sticking with me for so long.
1. Default Chapter

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The Devil's Maze

Disclaimer: I don't own Wild ARMS 3 or its characters…damn…

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What then, is the substance of hell? A man's transgressions.. or drowning into the bloody sea of guilt because of them? No man shall know until he has faced his own demons and confronted his greatest fear.

Mortal minds spawn hell from their own fears, with this being said, one can only assume that hell is different for each individual.

Note: This takes place AFTER the events of Wild ARMS 3! Please enjoy!

"It is time, Gallows." Spoke Halle softly to Gallows, Gallows cocked his head to one side and smiled. His grandmother was rarely ever _this_ serious, and seeing her as thus was…refreshing.

"Time for what, Granny, supper?!" laughed Gallows, rubbing his stomach playfully.

(I hope that she fixes stew, I LOVE her stew!)

Halle rolled her eyes and smacked Gallows' knuckles with her cane, Gallows looked at her sulkily and rubbed his sore hands.

"Gee, what was that for? I only asked a question!" whined Gallows, causing Halle to look at him balefully.

" It was for asking a STUPID question! Now listen up, my incompetent grandson, I have a proposition to make to you and your friends" said Halle quietly, looking at each group member with keen eyes.

"What is it Granny?" asked Gallows, all of the sudden becoming very serious.

"There is something that I need you to do, your friends can help, but in the end it boils down to your will."

"My.. will?" Inquired Gallows, looking at Halle questioningly. Halle nodded, picked up a map from the table, and held it out for Gallows to take. Gallows took it from her withered hand and looked at it.

"What is this?" asked Gallows, looking briefly at the map and then back at Halle.

"It appears to be.. A MAP!" said Jet with false amazement, rolling his eyes a little. Gallows glared at him for a moment and then looked at Halle again. 

" What is this map for?" questioned Gallows, focusing in on a red "X" that was painted on the parchment.

"It is a destination to destiny." Cackled Halle wisely, looking at Gallows with both pity and amusement. Gallows shifted uncomfortably on the floor and looked at her with unease.

" Why are you looking at me like that? It's not like I'm going to my own funeral…Right?" said Gallows, adding the last bit with concern. Virginia scooted closer to him and put her hand on his shoulder.

"Halle, what is this all about? I'm afraid that I can't allow us to accept a job that could claim the life of one of my team mates! So, if this involves putting Gallows in danger, then just forget about it!" exclaimed Virginia, surprised at her own audacity. Halle looked at her with a pitiful smile and shook her head slowly back and forth..

"I'm afraid, young lady, that you have no say in this matter. Please don't interfere with something that you do not understand. This is Gallows' journey, not yours." Replied Halle quietly, closing her eyes to shut out Virginia's cold stare. She rarely said things like that, but sometimes such intervention was necessary.

"….I'm sorry.." mumbled Virginia, her voice shaking with emotion. She removed her hand from Gallows' shoulder and folded her hands into her lap. Gallows looked at her with a heavy heart and then glared at Halle. Halle, sensing her grandson's angst, opened her eyes and looked at him with reserved irritation.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Because, you're being cruel! Granny, Virginia is a very caring person, that's why she's so adamant about protecting me. I think that she has a right to voice her opinion, even if she doesn't know about our traditions! I think that YOU should be apologizing to HER, not the other way around!" spat Gallows angrily, slamming his hand down hard beside him, startling Virginia in the process. Virginia bowed her head and closed her eyes, feeling rather disgusted at herself and very angry with Halle.

"No, Gallows, that's all right.. she doesn't need to apologize.." mumbled Virginia regretfully.

"…But.. Virginia!" started Gallows, reaching out a comforting hand toward Virginia.

Virginia's eyes snapped open and she looked at Gallows with icy blue eyes.

" Enough! I was in the wrong , not her.." snapped Virginia, causing Gallows to drop his hand down to his side dejectedly.

"Sorry…" sighed Gallows moodily, shooting a wayward glance at Halle and then Virginia.

(Oh great, I'm in a room with the two most BULL HEADED women in all of Filgaia!)

Gallows rolled his eyes and looked at the ground with irritation, this was probably going to be a LONG night! Halle coughed with irritation and Gallows looked up at her venomously.

"What?" snarled Gallows, after what seemed to be an eternity.

"Can I speak?" replied Halle coolly, looking at Virginia as she did so.

"Of course Halle…" whispered Virginia, her voice barely rising over the crackle of the fire.

" Go on Granny, I'm listening!" snapped Gallows impatiently, putting a comforting hand on Virginia's shoulder, Virginia looked at him and gave him a warm smile. Jet rolled his eyes and shifted his weight to his other foot, he had been leaning against the wall the whole time, listening intently to the argument between Halle, Gallows, and Virginia .

"Get on with it all ready!" spat Jet, looking at Halle with irritation, Halle shot Jet an irritated glance of her own and then looked at Gallows. Gallows removed his hand from Virginia's shoulder and returned her gaze.

" Have you ever heard of Simulacrum?" asked Halle, looking around the room again.

Gallows nodded and shuddered, he knew all ABOUT that place!

" The city of Phantoms.." muttered Gallows solemnly, his voice shaking a little bit now. Halle nodded and handed him a silver trinket, Gallows took it and held it in his hands, it felt strangely warm and it made his hand tingle. He dropped it in his vest pocket and looked at Halle with confusion.

" What is this?" inquired Gallows of Halle. Halle shook her head with disgust and cursed at him inwardly.

(Why is my grandson so INCOMPETENT!?)

" It is a key to open up Simulacrum!" snapped Halle, shaking with rage and irritation. 

"Oh.." said Gallows, patting his vest pocket absently.

"Halle, would it be all right if I inquire about something?" asked Clive silently, watching the flames dance in front of him. Halle looked at Clive and nodded her head with acknowledgment. Clive pushed his glasses up and smiled a little bit at Halle, showing his appreciation.

" If I remember correctly, Simulacrum is a place of demons and mysticism.. Why would you want to send your grandson to such a place? What is this tradition that you speak so highly of?"

Halle sighed at Clive's question and put a gnarled hand on Gallows shoulder, throwing Gallows for a loop, and surprising everyone in the room.

" There is a ceremony known only as Siasani, or " The Dirge" in your language. In it, one must face his inner demons to proceed in the lineage of the Baskarian Priesthood." 

Virginia looked up at Halle with wide eyes, her lips twisting into a cold sneer.

" What happens it he fails? Huh? Does he die?" snarled Virginia angrily, starting to get to her feet, Gallows grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back down to his side.

"Don't worry Virginia, failing is not on my agenda! " said Gallows with a smile. Halle smiled a little bit and squeezed his shoulder lightly.

" That's good to hear, because, should you fail, your sanity will be lost!" Spoke Halle in a grave tone, her smile fading..

" Well, that gives me even more of an incentive to prevail doesn't it!" laughed Gallows nervously, trying to shake the ice from his spine.

"Yes…" said Halle with a ghost of a smile, " I suppose that it does.."

Halle removed her hand from Gallows shoulder and scanned over the other three Drifters.

Virginia was lacing and unlacing her fingers fretfully, Clive was sitting Indian style, gazing into the fire thoughtfully, and Jet was kicking at the ground with irritation.

"Would you all please leave the house for a couple of minutes? I need to discuss some things in private with Gallows...""said Halle politely, giving them some what of a cheerful smile. They all nodded and walked toward the door, Virginia stopped behind Gallows and put her hand on his shoulder.

"We'll be waiting outside for you…Come out when all is said and done.." whispered Virginia, giving his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. Gallows put his hand on top of hers and smiled up at her.

" Okay, Virginia,…thanks…" he chortled warmly, removing his hand from hers. She nodded, removed her hand from his shoulder, and continued her trek toward the door, giving Halle one more glance of vexation before she exited the house.

( How can Halle do something like this to Gallows? Does she really hate him that much?)

Halle watched as Virginia exited the dwelling, sighing inwardly in relief as she did so, she hated to seem so rude.. but.. there was absolutely NO time for interference, the Scast Solak was approaching quickly and preparations were still being made.

( I wish there were another way! But….the demon, Scialis, is getting rather edgy in his cold grave of obscurity, he desires to be freed… and the only one that I can think of that could possibly resist his claws of insanity is Gallows …. Oh, why am I offering my grandson's soul to a devil such as he?!)

"Umm.. granny..?" came Gallows distant and somewhat concerned voice. Halle blinked and looked at her grandson with tear-hazed eyes. 

" Yes..? What do you want….my incompetent grandson…?" mumbled Halle, a tear falling down her wrinkled face. Gallows smiled warmly and wiped away her tear with his finger.

"Hey, what's wrong?! What ever happened to my lively and easygoing granny?"

(Her soul is writhing in the depths of her own private hell…Thanks for asking!…)

" I just fear for you Gallows…" said Halle, smiling a rather bitter smile. Gallows laughed warmly and clapped her softly on the back.

" Hey, don't worry about me, I'll be fine! You just worry about Shane and the Scast Solak, I'll take care of the rest!" exclaimed Gallows, pointing his thumb to his chest for emphasis. The embittered smile that was plaguing Halle's face, spread a little.

"Gallows, if you knew what you were going up against, I doubt that you would retain your cheerful dispostion…In fact.. I know for a certaintiy that you wouldn't.." murmured Halle with sorrow. Gallows' smile fell from his face and he looked at Halle with a certain degree of terror.

"Granny…" he whispered hoarsely, his voice shaking with fear " just what the hell are you PITTING me against?! I know that it's something big, and I wished that you would just come out and say what it is!"

Halle sighed and looked wisely into the flames, her tears glowing like liquid fire as she did so.

"What would you say if I told you that you were about to waltz with the devil and do the minuet with death? Well Gallows, would you still be full of confidence?"

Gallows said nothing as he watched the flames dance silently, his heart leaping into his throat with fear.

There was a moment of silence and then Gallows soft voice rose over the crackling of the flames.

"Tell me what this is all about.."

Halle sighed and closed her eyes, trying to focus on what she wanted to say.

"It is a long story…"

"How long does it take to discuss a SUICIDE mission?!" hissed Virginia angrily, tugging impatiently at her braid. Jet looked at her and rolled his eyes with disgust and irritation, he hated it when she got all emotional, and for some reason it made him feel bad.

"What does it matter? His fate doesn't concern us!" growled Jet, closing his eyes and leaning up against the post of the entrance gate. Virginia glared at him angrily and gritted her teeth.

"It's important because he's our TEAM MATE, or have you forgotten that already!?"

Jet grunted and opened his eyes, giving her a very cold and knowing look.

"If I didn't know any better, I would say that you have, shall we say, an affinity , for that stupid bastard!"

Virginia gasped and tugged at her sleeves, she was ready to fight! Clive, however, stopped the fight by putting a hand on Virginia's shoulder. Virginia looked up at him with irritation, her chest was heaving with rage and her hands were shaking something awful.

"Stop, Virginia. This conversation is not worth fighting over. You feel how you feel and Jet feels how he feels. End of story!" chided Clive softly, alternating his gaze between Jet and Virginia. Jet closed his eyes once again and turned his back on the girl and the sniper.

"Whatever.." mumbled Jet, feeling rather agitated at the whole damn thing. Virginia growled and Clive tightened his grip on her shoulder.

'No more, Virginia, that is enough quarreling for tonight!" sighed Clive with frustration, pushing up his glasses. Virginia said something that was incomprehensible and pulled out of Clive's grip with an exasperated grunt. Clive looked at her meaningfully and gave her a small smile. She sighed and didn't return his sentiments of good-will. His smile dipped into a frown and he closed his eyes, deep in thought.

( It's always like this, Jet says something idiotic or cold, Virginia gets upset, and usually either me or Gallows break it up. I swear, sometimes I think that they have it in for each other!)

Clive opened his eyes, looked up at the star studded sky, and smiled a little.

(Gallows, I'll help you out as much as I can.. and I'm sure that Virginia will do the same! I can't speak for Jet, Jet has his own agenda…but, in the end, I have a feeling that he will help you too!)

The sound of a door opening snapped Clive out of his thoughts, and he averted his gaze toward the direction of the sound. He and Virginia shared a gasp when they saw Gallows' ashen face and shocked eyes. Virginia ran over to Gallows frantically and put her hand on his shoulder. He didn't respond to her touch and continued to look forward, startling Virginia even more. 

"Gallows?!' shouted Virginia, giving his shoulder a little shake. Gallows turned his head and looked at her, his indigo eyes were glassy and wide with fear.

" We must go to Simulacrum immediately." He said flatly, putting his hand on top of Virginia's and looking up at the night sky vacantly. Virginia gasped at the coldness of his hands and unconsciously pulled her hand away. 

(His hands are so COLD! Gallows, what did Halle say to you ?!)

Gallows looked at her mournfully, his glassy eyes glazing over with a thin film of tears.

" Gallows..?" rasped Virginia grievously, taking his icy hand into both of hers to warm it up. Gallows looked down at her, his sorrow was once again replaced by fear.

" There is much we need to discuss.." whispered Gallows, his voice to low to perceive any emotion. 

The sandstorm had seemingly blew out the depths of hell. It clawed at the four Drifters faces like a rabid beast. Gallows huffed and pulled Virginia close to him protectively, Virginia blushed a little and closed her eyes, shielding them from the invading sand.

" Hey LEADER, aren't you going to find us some shelter or something'?!" exclaimed Jet caustically, glaring at her with squinted eyes. Virginia opened her eyes a little to glare back, when Gallows put his hand over her eyes.

" Keep your eyes SHUT! The wind will rip them apart!" shouted Gallows over the screeching of the wind.

Virginia shut her eyes once more, and clung to Gallows a little tighter. She could feel the growl in Gallows chest rise to his throat. She was starting to feel uneasy, Gallows rarely got angry, and when he did….

" Hey punk! Instead of pointlessly complaining, why don't you just shut the hell up and help look!" snapped Gallows, pulling Virginia a little closer in his state of fury. She shuddered, she no longer felt safe from the sand storm, she was more afraid of the storm that raged within Gallows than the storm that ripped at her flesh. Gallows was changing, she didn't know how.. but he was…! All of the sudden, Gallows let out a relieved gasp and started to tug her toward the right. She stumbled and fell against him, he grunted and picked her up before she could regain her balance. Surprised, she wrapped her arms around Gallows neck and gasped, his neck muscles were tense.

(Over there…there is solace…take her there…protect her..)

Gallows nodded and started to run toward the warm vibration that he felt, he KNEW that there was something important that way, he just KNEW it.

"Over here! There's a cave I think!" shouted Gallows over the tempest, not slowing one bit.

" Where? I do not see anything!" exclaimed Clive, following Gallows' voice nonetheless. 

" I think that you've been smoking some Baskar weed or something! There is nothing there!" bellowed Jet, feeling very angry at Gallows for some reason.

(Why does he get to carry Virginia?… Why do I care?!)

" Fine! Stay out here and DIE!" screamed Gallows angrily, catching sight of the cave now and charging toward it. Clive, pushing his glasses up, whistled with amazement, Gallows had actually been right! A couple of feet in front of them stood a small cave, it's dark mouth opened like a ravenous beast waiting for its meal. Gallows trembled, he didn't much care for such a dreary place.. but he needed to get Virginia to safety! Taking in a deep breath, he lunged into the damp recesses of the cave, trying to ignore the smell of rotting vegetation. A second later, he heard Clive's labored breathing and then Jet's muted cursing.

_Enter my web, said the spider to the fly… take your prey to your web and then devour them!_

Gallows blinked in surprise and set Virginia down slowly. Where did that voice come from.. and more importantly, why did it sound so much like him?! Virginia looked up at him with concern and touched his shoulder gingerly. Gallows flinched and looked down at her questioningly.

" Huh?" he said in a thought muddled voice. Virginia smiled a little and took her hand from his shoulder.

"Are you all right?" she asked, pulling out a heal berry and handing it to him. Gallows shook his head 'yes' and pushed the berries away from him gently.

"I'm fine Virginia, I think that I just need some rest.." whispered Gallows, patting Virginia on the shoulder lightly and then sitting down on a huge rock that was in the middle of the cave. With a sigh, he put his elbows on his knees and his face into his open hands.

( What do I do? I'm scared…I might die…)

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That's right Gallows, you are going to die! So why not just give up and succumb to the darkness

Gallows shut his eyes tightly and focused on expelling the insane female that ranted in his skull.

( Shut up and go away) 

Thought Gallows grimly, gritting his teeth together to get the point across, there was no response from the entity however and Gallows relaxed when he no longer felt her (?) presence. 

( Am I losing my mind?)

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You can not lose what you have never possessed..

Gallows eyes sprang open and he lifted his face from his hands.

( There was my voice again! What is going on?!)

"Gallows.. talk to me!" broke a tearful voice into his consciousness. Gallows shook his head and found himself staring into Virginia's eyes. She was so close to him that he smelt the peppermint perfume that she was wearing. He blinked a couple of times and smiled at her in a half-hearted manner. She looked so sweet kneeling in front of him like that….So sweet….Gallows felt his tongue press against his teeth. His heartbeat soared over its nominal rate and he started to sweat, his stomach lurching something awful.

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I bet that her flesh would taste as sweet as she smells….Don't you agree Gallows?

(…….What do you want?)

There was no response to his petulant question and he felt a wave of nausea overcome him. He closed his eyes and focused on the waves of pain that were clawing inside his stomach.

(No…Stop…I don't want to puke! I want to seem calm and collected….I don't want to worry Virginia..)

He felt a warm hand on his face and he opened his eyes with surprise, Virginia had placed her small hand on his face and was looking at him with a great deal of perplexity. 

( Why did I jump? It's only our sweet leader…My…….leader…..)

"Gallows, come on, snap out it, you're starting to scare me!" rasped Virginia fervently, using her other hand to shake him a little. Gallows smiled weakly and put his hand on top of the hand that was on his shoulder. Her voice seemed so far away, as if coming from the far end of a tunnel.

"Vir…." The rest of his sentence tapered off as he fell forward unconsciously. Virginia gasped and caught him, blushing a little, as his face ended up falling against her bosom.

( Even when he's unconscious, he's still a pervert!) she though, the blush melting from her face and a smile slowly taking its place. She sighed and laid him down on the ground as gently as she could. Clive smiled his apology and sat down on the ground Indian style. Jet watched this scene with disgust (and perhaps a little bit of jealousy) and slid down the uneven wall into a sitting position.

( Why does she even care about that idiot?1 I bet he's just faking his illness to get closer to her boobs!)

Jet growled at this though and flopped down into a prone position, feeling rather disgusted at Gallows.

"What's wrong Jet? Do you have a problem?" asked Virginia of Jet, just as coolly as you please. 

Jet rolled his eyes and pulled a blanket out of his pack. Virginia watched as he did this, amused at his nonchalant manner. She knew that Jet felt something for her, she didn't know what.. but she knew that it was there and eating away at his heart.

( There could have been something special between us Jet, something very special…you just choose to ignore your heart, and that is why we can never be more than friends…I'll never find a boyfriend..NEVER)

She lifted Gallows head up, placed the bag of her clothes underneath it, and sat his head back down.

" Whatever.." muttered Jet, pulling the blanket over his head moodily, and settling into a comfortable position. Virginia laughed inwardly, he was so CUTE when he acted like a jerk!

" Virginia, would you like me to take first watch?" asked Clive quietly, taking off his glasses and rubbing the dirt off of them. Virginia shook her head "no" and pushed a strand of Gallows' hair from his face.

"Nah, I'll take first watch, you just get some rest." Replied Virginia with a smile. Clive smiled back at her and placed his glasses beside him. 

" So, you think that an old man like myself needs extra rest?" replied Clive coyly, waiting for a shocked reaction. To his surprise, he didn't receive one, in fact, he didn't even receive a smile for his efforts.

" It's not that, Clive, and I think that you know that.." frowned Virginia, taking off her pink jacket and throwing it on the ground apathetically. Clive raised an eyebrow, she was wearing just her white blouse and her pink skirt, and he could see her undershirt though her blouse, suddenly, he felt very awkward.

" Umm.. Virginia, may I inquire as to what you are doing?" Spoke Clive carefully, he didn't want to embarrass the poor girl, he just wanted to know why she was throwing her jacket onto the ground so carelessly, he was hoping that it was a reasonable answer, he would hate to sound over bearing.

( Good lord, if Gallows were awake and Jet was paying attention, I do believe that they would have a heart attack! Virginia is quite an attractive young lady! I wonder how she feels about the two free gentlemen in the party…I wonder who she likes more?) 

" I need to start a fire…" she said simply, throwing a tinder crest card at the clothing. The cloth flared up and pretty soon a fire was burning brightly in the abysmal cave.

(The fire will not last long, I will need to look for some kindling later..)

Clive nodded his head with acknowledgment, and, with a smile still on his face, laid down on the floor, his right side pressed firmly against the cool ground.

(I'll be home soon, Catherine…at least I hope so…. I wish that you were here beside me .. I would sleep a lot better that way..) Clive sighed and closed his eyes, summoning up his wife's spirit beside him.

Virginia watched as her teammate slept, her mind spinning a web of thoughts as she gazed at each one of them. Clive was murmuring Catherine's name softly and tossing his head from side to side, seemingly in the talons of a nightmare.. or…something a little bit more.. intimate.. Virginia blushed once again and sat down on the rock that Gallows had occupied. She smiled a little and gazed outside dreamily. 

The sand storm that had forced them into the cave had since died down ,the sable sky was now visible and was sprinkled with stars.

"Hey Virginia.." said a sleep hazed voice behind her. She stood up from the rock and looked at Gallows, who was sitting up and looking at her.

" Hm?" she replied, sitting down beside him.

"Couldn't sleep either?" asked Gallows, scratching his head.

"Nah.."

"Why not?"

"Well, I'm worried.." responded Virginia after some hesitation.

" 'Bout what?"

"..You…" answered Virginia, looking at him intently.

"Why?" inquired Gallows, tilting his head to one side and looking at her with false naiveté . She sighed and closed her eyes with irritation.

"You KNOW what I'm worried about Gallows!"

"…Yeah…"

" Why are you doing this? What are you trying to prove Gallows?!" whispered Virginia harshly, opening her eyes and glaring at him.

"….Virginia, If I tell you something , do you promise to keep it between you and I?" asked Gallows, the iciness of mistrust glowering deep within his eyes and voice. Gallows' tone and gaze caused her voice to lodge in her throat, forcing her to answer his question with an intent nod of her head.

"….I'm tired of being an idiot…I'm tired of it all.." hissed Gallows, closing his eyes and bowing his head. Virginia said nothing, it was better to remain quiet in situations such as these. Gallows opened his eyes and looked at Virginia, she gasped when she saw his eyes. They were the eyes of a man that was holding on to sanity by a thread.

"Do you know how FRUSTRATING it is to have everyone telling you that you're an IDIOT?!" growled Gallows quietly, clenching and unclenching his fist with silent fury. Virginia shook her head "no", her eyes widening with fear.

(Is Gallows going to hurt me? Am I going to have to kill him? Where did OUR Gallows go!?)

" You said so yourself Virginia!" he said, standing up angrily, and then, like a snake striking, he grabbed Virginia's shoulders and pulled her up roughly. Virginia whimpered and looked up at him, her eyes blazing with anger. Gallows' eyes sparkled with enraged tears.

" You.." he shook her roughly and her head snapped forward and then back into place again.

(No Gallows, please stop, I don't want to..)

"TOLD me.." he shook her again, this time a little softer, his grip starting to slip.

"That….that…I…" he let go of Virginia's shoulders and sat down on the rock, burying his face in his hands. Virginia sat down beside him and wrapped an arm around him. Gallows was shaking so bad that Virginia feared that he was having a seizure.

"I…I'm ..so ..sorry…" sobbed Gallows, lifting his face from his hands and looking at Virginia tearfully. Virginia smiled warmly and rubbed his back.

" What are you sorry for?" she whispered, removing her arm from his shoulder.

" I almost hurt you…" whispered Gallows, bowing his head with shame, the reality of the situation hitting him with harsh clarity.

"Gallows…"

"I almost lost it…I almost…" Gallows whimpered , looking at her with self loathing and fear. Virginia put a soft hand on his face.

"But you didn't Gallows, you didn't lose it…and you didn't hurt me…"

Gallows smiled a little bit at her gentleness, and carefully removed her hand from his face.

"I don't deserve your kind words.. or your…" Gallows' sentence was cut off by a tug at his ear!

" Gallows, stop being so damned STUBBORN!" snapped Virginia, her voice starting to rise above a whisper.

"Virginia…?"

"Gallows, will you stop being so SELFISH and explain yourself!" exclaimed Virginia in a harsh whisper, stamping her foot angrily.

"Do you really want to hear this?" inquired Gallows, after a very fierce ( but brief) dispute within the confines of his mind. Virginia nodded and sat down to the side of him, tucking her dress underneath her as she did so. Gallows took in a deep breath and pushed a strand of hair absently behind his ear.

" It started when we got near this cave.. I felt this strange tugging at the back of my mind. At first I ignored it.. but then.. it started to HURT, it was like a pulsing , fiery, HEART beating in my skull!" 

At this point he closed his eyes and pointed to the back of his head, elaborating the location of his agony.

" Well, then I noticed the signs of a sandstorm and it stopped hurting.." he opened his eyes and smiled at Virginia.

"Luckily, we were able to find shelter.. but, unfortunately.. I was not able to find solace in this safe haven! The throbbing in my head had returned and turned into a gaggle of discordant voices! Each of them was tearing at my soul and mind, trying to make me break.. and.. they almost succeeded…" he looked down at the ground with regret and rage. Virginia pressed her back against Gallows shoulder and looked toward the cave entrance. Gallows blushed a little and shifted uncomfortably, his mind was in turmoil and his heart was fluttery.

(Gee, typically I wouldn't mind for the lady to make the first move…but.. this just feels.. ODD!)

"What did the voices say?" cut Virginia's voice into his thoughts. Gallows shook his head and proceeded with his story, looking down at Virginia as he did so.

" One of the voices that I had heard was distinctly female…"

( I guess that she just wants to get comfortable.. that's just fine by me..)

" She said that I might as well just give up my humanity and submit to fate.."

(She's actually quite pretty…not Claudia pretty. .but…PRETTY..)

"Well, I could sort of ignore that, after all, that could have been just an echo of granny's sentiments! However, the second voice was the one that I couldn't ignore! It was the most persistent.. and the most chilling.." Gallows shuddered at this point and Virginia sat up and looked at him questioningly.

" Why was the voice so scary?" asked Virginia, scooting in front of him with a series of cute little grunts.

( Virginia.. do you even know what kind of strange effect that you're having on me?)

" It was my voice, but it didn't SOUND like me! It was so cold and sinister…"

"Gallows, I don't think that you could EVER turn evil! You're so sweet and funny!" giggled Virginia quietly, patting him lightly on the knee. Gallows looked at her pale hand and smiled a little.

"We all have the potential for evil Virginia, no one is exempt from the whisper of insanity.."

( Nothing seems logical.. it all seems so unreal..)

_Perhaps it is unreal.._

(…..You again?)

"Gallows? Are you all right?" asked Virginia, tugging at his hand cautiously. Gallows slapped himself smartly and smiled a semi-cheerful smile.

"Just heard that pesky voice again.." 

"Oh? Did it say anything?" prodded Virginia with concern. Gallows shook his head "no" and pulled a trinket from his vest pocket.

"What's that?" 

Gallows said nothing and dropped it in her lap, it landed with a muffled **pwoof** and reflected the light of the camp fire tranquilly. It was some type of runic design and had tiny reddish-brown spots on it.

(I can't protect you from myself… You need something to protect you when my mind is gone..)

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Yes Gallows, completely worthless…your mother really should have threw you into the river that night..

(…..What?…)

__

Never mind Gallows, better get back to your girl before she starts to bitch…

(……)

" I want to protect you…" muttered Gallows, almost inaudibly. Virginia had heard him just fine, however, and looked at him warmly.

"Gallows…" she said, picking up the trinket and clenching it tightly in her hand.

" I don't know what's going to happen once we get to Simulacrum.. probably the voices will strike with their full power and…I might…" Gallows reached out and touched her face for a brief moment and then dropped his hand into his lap.

(I'll hurt you Virginia.. I'll..)

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rip out your fucking lungs and…

(make you cry…I…don't want to.. hurt you…)

"Hurt you…" finished Gallows grievously, standing up and looking down at Virginia with fear.

(When that time comes….)

__

I will ENJOY it! I will bathe in your..

( blood and enjoy that too! No! NO! Go away! You are not ME!)

"Gallows..?" 

"Go to sleep Virginia…I don't wanna talk anymore…" said Gallows, his voice turning very cold and flat. Virginia blinked a couple of times and then laid down in front of him.

"No, move, I don't want you near me.." growled Gallows, his voice cracking with emotion.

( Oh Gallows, why are the Guardians permitting this? I want our…no.. I want MY Gallows back!)

" Where do you want me to…"

"Anywhere! Just go AWAY!" cried Gallows, on the verge of shouting.

( I'm sorry Virginia.. please understand.. I don't want to hurt you..)

__

Oh, but I do! I wanna watch you BLEED! I want to watch you..

(Suffer…I……you…….)

"Suffer…" mouthed Gallows, as he watched Virginia walk sullenly away from him and into a distant corner. Not once, did Virginia look at him as she walked toward her place of slumber.

(……Ginia….sorry… didn't…hurt….I…….)

__

Want you to DIE, Virginia dear! I want to watch in ecstasy as your body twitches and writhes in the agony of flames! Yes, that is..

( What I want……Yes.. burn…) Gallows looked at the flames, his eyes flickering with the dipping and rising flames. His lips twisted into an insane smile, the fire was very NICE…Perfect for roasting humans…

( I wonder how she'll taste……..)

Gallows stood up, pulled out a ceremonial dagger, and watched the reflection of the fire in its silvery depths.

( The blade is perfect…perfect…I am so hungry…I am so ANXIOUS!)

Gallows(?) licked his lips and walked menacingly toward Virginia's sleeping form, a twisted smile distorting his normally kind face.

(……No…..I….her….mine….she….please…..DON'T HURT HER!)

Gallows dropped the dagger and fell to his knees, holding his head in agony.

(I almost….I almost..)

Gallows looked at the dagger, it glittered innocently by his side and silently beckoned for him to pick it up.

( No, I will spill my own blood before I spill…..)

"Gallows…you're so sweet! Thank you for these pretty flowers! I'll put em' in a vase right away!" exclaimed Virginia in her sleep. Gallows smiled and walked over to her, his hand shaking with murderous desire. He knelt down beside her and pushed a strand of red hair from her face.

" I'll never hurt you…I swear…I'll…."

(Kill you! Make you suffer! All of the mean things that you said to me…)

__

Will be paid back in full! Just you watch, you damned drifters! Once you all get to Simulacrum…

"It'll be all over…" grinned Gallows darkly, standing up and walking back toward the fire, picking the knife up is he did so. He shook his head violently and stared morosely at the knife.

( I need to leave.. I can't put my friends in danger!.. I'll go to Simulacrum by myself!) Gallows picked up his bag of clothes and slung it over his shoulder. He put the knife back in it sheath on his waist and started to walk toward the cave entrance. He stopped and turned around to look at Virginia, his hands shaking with fear and confusion. He closed his eyes and walked quietly toward the rock and knelt down in front of it, taking the knife out of its sheath once again and resting it loosely in his left hand. He sighed deeply and grasped the handle of the knife with his right hand. He opened his mournful eyes and looked at the knife.

(It's all over for me…) 

He slashed the top of his arm near the wrist and watched as the blood streamed down his arm and onto the rock. He smiled a little, it felt good to feel pain.. especially when it was you causing it and not someone else. He sheathed the knife once more and dipped his finger in the blood on the rock. He started to write, in shaky letters, these haunting words.

" Sometimes insanity is the only salvation and the only logical answer. Don't follow me, or you will be sorry. I'll bring back souvenirs.. I promise.. Gallows"

He nodded and stood up shakily, his arm dripping blood onto the sandy ground. He walked toward the cave entrance once again, making it a point not to look back.

(I have to go! There's no other way! I'm sorry my friends…I'm sorry that our friendship had to end like this! Virginia, will you ever forgive me? Will you ever forgive my cruelty?)

With a sigh, he walked out into the cold desert night, armed only with his Modified Coyote and ebbing sanity. He was lost in thought as he started to walk, oblivious to his surroundings and vulnerable to the creatures that stalked the night. He acknowledged neither his throbbing arm nor the gun in his hand, all of it was completely irrelevant in his twisted mind. All that mattered was that he got the hell out of there before anyone else got hurt.

( I didn't mean to, Virginia, I feel so bad….)

__

No you don't Gallows, you liked it, stop lying to yourself and acknowledge that you are what you are!)

Gallows stopped abruptly and looked around him, his eyes wide with fury and his body burning with irritation. He was going to get to the bottom of this!

(Just who the hell ARE you?! Why are you DOING this to me?)

__

Heh, don't you know your father's voice boy?!)

(What?!)

__

Start walking boy, you're being followed!

Gallows started to walk again, his finger moving to the trigger of his gun.

__

That's my boy! Always ready for a good blood bath!

Gallows shook his head back and forth vehemently, he REFUSED to believe this charlatan!

(You are NOT my father! My father was not CRUEL like you!)

__

How do you know? You've never met me! Get your head out of your ass you spawn of a whore!)

(….You have a lot of nerve! Now I really don't believe you!)

__

Believe what you will, Gallows, but the truth WILL come out once you get to _Simulacrum!)_

(Truth?! I doubt you even know the meaning of the word!)

__

Whatever you say Gallows…

Gallows' thoughts were interrupted by the sound of crunching sand behind him! Snarling, and with his heart pounding in his chest, he turned around quickly and aimed his gun at the unknown entity. He lowered his gun with a sigh when he saw who it was.

" Virginia, why are you following me? I could have shot you!" he snapped angrily, putting the gun in its holster and glaring at her angrily. Virginia shifted uncomfortably beneath his malevolent gaze but did not move from the spot.

" You forgot something.." she said, pulling a small box of shotgun ammo from her hip pouch. She held it out tentatively and Gallows snatched it from her hand heatedly. Virginia's hand dropped to her side and she looked at Gallows with anger and hurt.

" Why are you doing this to us?! Don't you understand that you're VALUABALE to all of us!? scoffed Virginia, taking a step closer to him. Gallows laughed sharply and took a step toward her, causing her to take an involuntary step back.

"Gallows?"

"Don't you understand anything at ALL, you idiot!?" snapped Gallows, clenching his fist to his side. Virginia slowly shook her head "no" as she watched Gallows' fist turn blurry. Gallows looked at her balefully, his eyes showing no pity for the poor girl.

"I guess I don't.." she sniffled, wiping a single tear from her eye. Gallows shook his head and turned his back on her. 

"Go back to camp! I don't need a blubbering idiot like you to impede my progress!"

"…Fine…I will do as you say…See you around!" came Virginia's cold and hateful voice. He heard her footsteps fade off into the distant night and felt his heart drop.

"Virginia…I'm sorry.." said Gallows quietly, a tear falling noiselessly to the desert floor.

__

Way to go, GALLOWS, I didn't think that you had it in you!

Gallows snorted and pulled out his gun again, feeling the fusion of metal, bone, and flesh take place.

(I didn't do it to make you proud you disgusting creature, I did it to keep her safe!)

__

Heh, I got the impression that you were ENJOYING it!

(Yeah, well, your "impression", as you call it, is WRONG! I don't enjoy hurting people, it's not in my nature! I'm a lover not a warrior…unlike you, you sadistic….)

__

Bastard? Is that what you were going to call me? I may be a bastard but I'm not a whore..

(…Neither am I!)

The voice laughed and Gallows shuddered with fear, did the voice have to be so damn COLD?!

__

Yes you are! You're just like your mother!

Gallows' conversation with the voice was interrupted by the sound of snarling behind him. He cocked his gun and whirled around to face his adversary.

There, in the cold moonlight, stood a mangy desert wolf, its ivory fangs glowed menacingly by the light of the moon and the foam of disease dripped down its snout. Gallows back stiffened and he aimed the gun at the wolf. The wolf snarled and appeared to be smiling. Gallows face darkened and he got ready.

"Come!" he said simply, a sadistic smile crossing his face. With a howl, the wolf jumped at him and swung its razor sharp claws at him. Gallows laughed, aimed the gun up, and pulled the trigger with great enjoyment. The gun's report sounded more like a bomb blast than a shotgun blast, Gallows watched as the glowing bullets cleaved the wolf in two. Half of the wolf's body landed in front of him and the other half landed to his side. He inclined his head with a smile and closed his eyes, basking in the rain of gore as it hit his burning flesh.

( I love this…I love the warmth of blood.. I love….)

Gallows opened his eyes slowly, feeling the sting of iron and salt as he did so, and looked around apprehensively. 

After a moment of scouting the area with his burning eyes and heightened senses, he put the gun away and started to walk again, enjoying the monotonous sound of sand crunching underneath his feet and the night wind blowing through his hair. All of the sudden, he felt something soft squish underneath his feet and looked down with vexation. He smiled a little bit when he saw the eye of the wolf stuck to his spur. With a grunt of amusement, he pulled the wolf's eye from his spur and held it front of him.

" What a nice souvenir.." he mused darkly, stuffing the eye into his pocket and rubbing his hands on his gore covered vest. 

(**Not me…this is not me….I'm not a monster.. not a monster…**)

( I wonder how far an one-eyed wolf's head would fly?)

"Let's find out!' came Gallows cruel and amused voice.

(**No.. I don't want..**)

(1…2….3) Gallows pulled back his foot and kicked with all of his might. The wolf's head flew off of its shoulders and over one of the dunes, black blood trailing its journey. Gallows felt his stomach lurch and his eyes start to water, the intestinal goo started to get uncomfortably sticky and the blood was starting to make his skin itch. 

( I need a bath…)

He made a mental note to look for an oasis of some sort on his journey to Simulacrum.

With a sigh, he took off his gore stained vest and threw it down on the ground.

( I have no need for that…)

A Kosa bug bit him on the neck and he swatted at it with irritation, he hated those damned bugs!

__

There's an oasis one mile north of here.. go there.. I can't stand your stench!

( Oh well…get over it…) thought Gallows bitterly, mentally glaring at the entity that claimed to be his father. A bitter and sudden laugh caused Gallows to jump, the crazy entity was laughing at him.

__

Oh Gallows, you really are something! How does it feel to have your very thoughts and sanity ripped from you?! Do you like it? Does it feel good?! Inquired the voice, putting a heavy and sarcastic emphasis on the word "good". Gallows pushed a strand of white hair behind his ear and scowled outwardly.

( I don't know what you're talking about you crazy loon!)

**__**

( But I do! I can no longer differentiate my thoughts from his! It's all screwed up!)

"Hey Bro! I heard a gunshot over there! Let's go check it out!" came a voice from his far right.

Gallows looked in that direction and frowned, he didn't see anyone, but he automatically knew who it was!

It was Dario and Romero! Gallows rolled his eyes and pulled out his gun once again.

( So damned annoying…can't I get a BREAK!)

__

If you stay quiet and ignore them maybe they'll go away..

(Doubt it, Dario's instinct sucks but Romero's instinct is quite keen, he IS a ninja after all….)

__

…..Very well…I wanted to make it to Simulacrum by sunup ..but.. I suppose that we have time for a quick battle.. Gallows smiled a little bit, the voice actually sounded a little annoyed!

( **_You overestimate me…I don't know if I can take them both on at the same time_**…)

__

Sure you can, just do what you did when you fought the wolf!

****

(Go insane ..?)

Exactly!

****

(I hate you…)

Heh…

" Over here you idiots!" exclaimed Gallows with amusement, swinging his gun to his side in a ready stance. He heard the sound of sand being crunched underneath heavy feet and soon he saw the head of Dario and Romero crest over the dune to his right.

"Hey! What are you doing here?!" whined Romero, pulling out one his throwing stars. Gallows raised an eyebrow with amusement as he watched Dario step up to his brother's side and pull out his gun. Gallows shook his head with false pity and smiled.

"Some people just never learn.."

"Hey, you big DORK, we're really smart!" spat Dario, loading his gun angrily.

"It ain't a matter of intelligence, it's a matter of learning from all the stupid mistakes that you've made!" laughed Gallows, aiming his gun at Romero first.

(I better take him out first, he is, after all, the quickest!)

Romero watched Gallows shotgun with trepidation and Dario pointed his gun shakily at Gallows.

(Stalemate?! Damn it! I have to find a way to take them both down!)

Gallows snapped into action when he heard Dario's gun go off! With a grunt, he dropped to the ground and rolled toward the brothers, his cut arm bashing painfully against a protruding rock. He stood up in front of them and smiled, both Dario and Romero took a frightened step back.

" Hello boys!" laughed Gallows, pressing his shot gun into the softness of Romero's stomach. Romero swallowed hard and looked down at the gun, he didn't like where this was going!

"Umm… Dario…ain't you gonna DO something!?' said Romero, his voice trembling with fear. Dario snapped out of his stupor and shot at Gallows once again, the bullet grazed Gallows' shoulder and Gallows felt the hot claws of rage rip at his chest. He turned around, shoving Romero back in the process and shot Dario in the chest, his face a cold mask of fury. Dario screamed and fell backwards with a thud, blood gushing from his chest and spilling onto the desert soil. Gallows' turned back to Romero, who was as white as a sheet and shaking badly.

"You want some?" snickered Gallows, pointing his gun at Romero once again. Romero's face contorted into an ugly snarl and he howled in rage as he watched his brother die. Gallows' looked at him with amusement and scratched the back of his neck.

( It just keeps getting better..)

"You…..!" snarled Romero, in a shaky and grief filled voice. Gallows cocked his head to one side and smiled maliciously . This was going to be to easy!

" I have a name, you know, and it would serve you well to remember it!" snickered Gallows, observing Romero's traumatized state and enjoying it immensely. 

"….You…You BASTARD!" bellowed Romero, launching the throwing star at Gallows' head with great fervor. Gallows' smile widened as he dodged at the last minute, he felt the cold blade cut a gash in his face. Romero's eyes widened and he produced another throwing star from his vest pocket. Gallows shook his head slowly back and forth and closed his eyes, the smile melting from his face.

" You really don't want to do that…" said Gallows, a remnant of his true persona coming out. There was silence for a moment and then Romero spoke, his voice was cold and full of murderous intent.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't!"

Gallows opened his eyes, and smiled like a demon. Romero's hand went numb and he dropped the throwing star, he took a couple of steps back and looked at Gallows with the eyes of a dead man.

" You're not Gallows! You are NOT the man that we fought five months ago!" stuttered Romero, looking at Gallows with fear and disgust. Gallows ran a hand through his tangled hair and his smile turned into a sneer, he was tired of playing with this idiot!

" You are very perceptive, ninja, very perceptive indeed! However, I've no need for you OR your useless observations! This is the end for you!" Gallows pointed his gun at Romero. Romero closed his eyes and looked down at the ground with resignation.

(There's no way I can beat him! If only he were normal! I would….) the rest of his thoughts were blown away along with his skull, he fell down to the ground, a plume of dust surrounding his body like a casket. With a smile still on his face, Gallows looked down at Romero's corpse with false pity ( or perhaps it was real, Gallows really couldn't tell anymore) 

Within the prison of his being, Gallows wept, the picture that he had just painted with his own hands was not a pretty one. The top of Romero's head was missing and was laying a couple of feet above his body, there was a trail of brains and blood going from his copse to the top half of his head.

**__**

( A monster….that's what I am.. a damned MONSTER!)

Gallows, still holding on to his gun, walked away from the gruesome scene, his hands still shaking from the adrenaline rush. He felt a flurry of emotions as he strutted away, the most prominent, however, was satisfaction, fear, sorrow, and regret sat on the back burners of his mind.

(Insane.. Insane.. I'm fucking insane!) 

"La di da di da…Fucking insane am I!" laughed Gallows with deranged merriment, swinging his gun carelessly to his side. Little did he know, there had been a fourth party there to witness the brother's sickening massacre, and the visage that the poor girl saw would be burned into her mind for all of eternity.

She watched in horror as Romero's brains spilled out onto the wastelands floor. Her hands shook with disbelief and her eyes watered with embittered tears. This was NOT the Gallows that she knew!

( Why is he DOING this? ….. Has he truly gone mad? …. )

She sobbed audibly, and then, realizing that Gallows was still in earshot, covered her mouth in horror.

(Not that it would do me any good…if he heard me, he heard me.. covering my mouth will not change that fact.. But still..)

She uncovered her mouth and watched as Gallows strutted away from the scene, vocalizing his insanity quite vehemently. She shook her head and was about to start down the dune toward him, when he turned around and looked straight at her! She gasped, her lungs started to burn with fear and her heart started to increase its cadence. She tried to bolt out of sight, only to discover that she could not move! She looked down at her feet numbly and then back up at Gallows, her heart thudding against her rib cage, and her eyes widening with terror. He no longer looked human, his eyes glowered like those of a ravenous beast, and his face was twisted into an ugly scar of menace. 

(Gallows…Why am I afraid of you?)

He was now roughly ten feet away from her, his lips pulled back into a feral sneer, and his gun resting lightly against his hip. She wanted to speak comforting words to her team mate, wanted to perhaps talk some sense into him.. but.. that all seemed to be out of the question now…

Gallows stopped in front of her and put the gun to her stomach, she looked down at the gun with a mixture of anger and regret, and then back at Gallows. Gallows chuckled with amusement and lowered his gun, much to Virginia's relief. 

" You're as bad as the plague…" said Gallows still snickering a little. Virginia smiled at him a little and flexed her fingers with relief, she could move again!

" Yeah, I guess that I am.." mused Virginia, trying her best not to flee in terror.

"You are a damned fool… You know that, right?" grumbled Gallows, putting his gun away. 

All Virginia could do was stare at him and nod stupidly. She hated these moments of silence, it was like waiting for an elegy..

" Maybe I am, maybe I'm not.." replied Virginia cryptically, narrowing her eyes at Gallows and scratching the back of her neck. She knew that she was trudging on dangerous grounds, and it this point she just didn't care. It was either do or die, and Virginia was not the dying type.

( If I can just talk some SENSE into him! I'm sure that he would see it my way and we could head back..)

" Virginia…" came Gallows weary voice into her train of thoughts. She blinked and looked at Gallows questioningly. She was a little startled by his tone of voice, it sounded so flat…

(It sounds so dead…there is no need to sugar coat it my dear…)

"What is it Gallows?"

" Have you ever looked in the mirror and said to yourself, 'This isn't me…or is it?' … and then felt the desire to shatter the bastard that was staring back at you?"

Virginia shook her head "no" and silently pressed for him to continue.

" I do… sometimes… "

He looked down at his gore covered body and smiled a little.

" I guess that this style suits me…What do you think?" snickered Gallows bitterly, his eyes glittering mournfully. Virginia shook her head "no" and suppressed the urge to sob.

(How can he even stand to THINK like that?)


	2. Realization

A/N I am so sorry about deleting my original story, I was having problems with my computer and I…Kind of deleted the original story when it didn't register that I had altered it, I beg for your forgiveness and hope that you will re-read chapter 1. Just a warning it gets light hearted and then really dark! Please don't hate me Teefa…. 

****

Chapter 2: Realization

" Gallows, the color of blood doesn't match your eyes…." Whispered Virginia, her playful tone overshadowed by grief. Gallows' smiled faded and he blinked at Virginia a couple of times.

"Virginia…"

She draped her sleeve over her hand and wiped the blood off of Gallows' face gently. Gallows' vision blurred and then wavered, a tear rolled silently down his cheek and then fell down to the ground.

Virginia watched as the tear fell and was overcome by the emotion of helplessness.

(He's hurting so bad and I can't do a damn thing about it…)

She reached out a comforting hand and Gallows took it, his huge hand enveloping hers. A warm flame licked at Gallows torn heart and a true smile crossed his face, Virginia noticed this and smiled back, her eyes alight with kindness.

( **_I understand now Virginia….)_**

Gallows gently pulled his hand away and caressed Virginia's face, Virginia closed her eyes and accepted his touch. Little did he know, he was smearing blood all over Virginia's cheek, the fact that he had just killed two people had completely slipped his mind.

( The blood is so warm…)

The shudder that glided through her body was completely unintentional, and she opened her eyes 

to gaze meaningfully at Gallows. It was too late, however, the involuntary shudder gave the entity the perfect opportunity to impress its views upon Gallows' already unstable confidence.

__

She is disgusted by you Gallows! Can't you see that?

(………)

Gallows pulled his hand away and glared at her balefully, his eyes darkening almost to black. Virginia gasped and stumbled backwards, nearly tripping on her own two feet in the process.

"Gallows, what's wrong with you?!' she gasped, trying to make her heart slow down. Gallows smiled coldly and pulled out his gun. Virginia reached up and touched her blood stained face, shuddering as she did so. Gallows pointed his shot gun at her head, his smile fading.

" Blood is your color dear.. you should wear it more often…" spat Gallows venomously, unlocking the safety. Virginia's eyes widened and then narrowed, she was not going to go down without a fight. She pulled out her two pistols and aimed them at Gallows head. A confused and slightly worried look crossed Gallows' face. The look in her eyes indicated that she meant business, and Gallows was quite aware of this.

" I won't die, not at your hands, I'll wipe the floor with you before you even pull the trigger.." seethed Virginia, unlocking both of the safety's on her two guns. Gallows raise an eyebrow and dropped the gun to his side, a small smile cracked his face and he whistled with admiration.

"Tough words, little lady, but can you back them up?"

**__**

(You damn fool! Of course she can back them up, she is one of the fastest ARM handlers that I know!)

I am intrigued!

****

"Well Gallows, it's time to put up or shut the fuck up, choose, I don't have all night!" snapped Virginia, snapping her wrist so that her guns clanked together menacingly.

**__**

( What has come over her? Why is she acting this way? Did you do something to her? Answer me!)

I did nothing to the girl, I think that's she's doing this because she hates you!

****

(…No…Virginia is not capable of hating…)

Why don't you ask her?

****

(Fine, I will, but don't expect her to answer the way that you want her to answer!)

Heh, fine….

Gallows dropped his gun to the ground and watched as Virginia's eyes followed it's decent. After if had hit the ground with a clatter, Virginia looked up at him and smiled a little.

" So, you want to talk, I'm happy!" she placed her guns in the holster and took a step closer to him, noticing that his eyes were brightening up a little.

" I'm.. glad…" whispered Gallows, looking mournfully down at his shot gun.

"You don't seem glad…." Said Virginia carefully, trying hard not to set him off again.

" I am, it's just that I have a lot on my mind…" snickered Gallows ruefully, pulling a strip of bloody fur from his chest. Virginia forced herself not to react to this disgusting act and continued to look at him steadily. Gallows, noting this intent look, flashed her a warm smile and dropped his hands down to his side.

" Are you all right?"

Gallows nodded his head 'yes', but his eyes said something entirely different.

" What's wrong Gallows? Don't lie to me and tell me it's nothing!" exclaimed Virginia, trying to mask her irritation the best that she could. Gallows closed his eyes and sighed a little.

"I'm losing my mind…"

Virginia shook her head and put her hand on his shoulder, he looked at her hand and said nothing.

" You are not losing your mind, Gallows, stop talking like that!" 

Gallows opened his eyes and put his hand on top of hers, his breath catching in his throat. 

"I'm….scared…"

"I know, Gallows, I'm scared too."

He removed his hand from hers and looked at it mournfully, a surge of emotion tearing at his heart.

"I've done so much , I've hurt so many, I really don't deserve to live…"

He felt Virginia's hand twitch on his shoulder and looked down at it, to his surprise it was shaking.

He looked at her and saw that there were tears in her eyes. A wave of pity crashed into him and reached out to put his hand to her face, and then, remembering that his hands were bloody, dropped it back down to his side. Virginia stared down at his hand and the removed her hand from his shoulder, causing Gallows to feel cold again, it seemed that her hand had produced the only source of warmth for him.

" Stop it…" sobbed Virginia, closing her eyes and bowing her head down and to the right.

"Do you hate me?" asked Gallows, not knowing what else to do or say. Virginia's eyes flew open and she looked at him with utter surprise. She had not been expecting that!

"No, Gallows, I don't hate you… and … I never will…" she said, walking up to him and pulling him into an unexpected embrace, ignoring the gore that pressed wetly against her white blouse.

(Ah, damn it, that's gonna be one nasty stain!)

After a couple of shocked seconds, Gallows returned the embrace, trying hard to ignore the ranting in his skull. Trust me, my friend, that was a TREMENDOUS task, considering that he entity was strong.

"How can you not hate me after all of the things that I did?" whispered Gallows into her hair.

(Tainting.. I'm tainting her…tainting…disgusting…)

"Gallows, I know that it wasn't you pulling that trigger, I also know that you are to kind hearted to be truly evil! You are Gallows, not a demon, not a monster, just good old Gallows.."

"…. Virginia …."

"Gallows, you can go through the rest of your life regretting what you have done, but that won't change the fact that you did it…"

Virginia pulled away and smiled at the downtrodden young man.

" Although, in my opinion at least, you really have nothing to regret!"

Gallows said nothing and let his smile do all the talking.

__

Oh come ON, you aren't taking her seriously are you? You…

****

( Shut up…) Thought Gallows pleasantly, happy that he had some degree of control.

"Your words are so pleasant…I really don't want you to stop talking…"

Virginia laughed and pushed a strand of wayward hair from her face.

" I wish that Jet thought like that! He always says that I talk too much!"

Gallows face darkened and Virginia realized that she had made a mistake.

"Jet is a fool…" growled Gallows, tightening his hand into a fist.

( NO! I'm losing him again!)

"I'm sorry Gallows…" whispered Virginia nervously, stuffing her shaking hands behind her back.

" You shouldn't be sorry for someone else's incompetence! Jet is a punk and you deserve better!" 

__

Like who Gallows? You? Don't make me laugh, a woman like her would never love a murderer and a whore like you! And even if she did, the love would be short-lived, you would be better off with that slut Claudia! Gallows winced at the harshness of the entities voice and then started to get angry.

( **_I don't recall asking for your opinion….)_**

The voice said nothing but Gallows felt a wave of indignation flow through him.

"You really think so?" asked Virginia, snapping Gallows out of his train of thought.

"Yes, you do, I don't know who would be perfect, but I'm sure you will find someone…"

There was silence and then:

"What do YOU think about me?" inquired Virginia, trying to hide her shaky voice in a whisper.

(Now, how do I answer THAT one?)

_Simple, tell her that you think she is disgusting and be done with it!_

(**_There you go expressing what you feel, and here is me not giving a DAMN!)_**

Again, there was silence and then a pang of rage from the entity.

" I think that you are a great woman…." Responded Gallows, choosing his words carefully.

"Really?" said Virginia, bowing her head nervously.

"Of course! I wouldn't lie to you, now would I!?" laughed Gallows warmly.

Virginia sheepish expression fell into a frown and she looked at Gallows.

(I don't know any more, what ever has you is changing you…piece by piece it's ripping your soul and humanity away, just like a vulture would peck the meat from its preys bones…) She shuddered at the gruesome analogy and blinked at Gallows, trying her best to read him.

"No Gallows, I guess that you wouldn't…"

Gallows noticed the lie right away, he wasn't stupid, and the fact that she was trying to pull the wool over his eyes made him angry! He glared at her and then smiled a smile that could have frozen the Devil's blood.. Virginia looked at him uneasily, quite aware that she had screwed up yet again..

"You think that I would, huh?" Growled Gallows, his hand reaching out to grab Virginia's throat, Virginia snarled and jumped back! She knew that murderous look in his eyes…

(I don't think so!)

"Not this time!" she snapped, shooting out her leg in a swift kick and catching Gallows in the knee! Gallows knee, popped out of place and with a scream, he feel down to the ground. With an angry curse, she shot her hand out and grabbed his hair. All of the sudden Gallows eyes….transformed, there was no other way to describe it, the pupils dilated so that only the icy blue of his eyes were showing, the whites of his eyes glowed with an inhuman light. Virginia gasped and let go, completely forgetting the reason she was angry. Gallows looked up at her and smirked, and then looked at his leg with the same twisted expression. Still smiling insanely, he grabbed his knee and relocated it, sending a sickening crack through the cold night air. Virginia watched in horror, her blood frozen in her veins, there was no way in HELL that the real Gallows could do something like that without wanting attention! No, this wasn't Gallows, this WAS NOT Gallows Carradine! She pulled out her guns and aimed it at his head, He shook his head and stood up slowly, his face twisted into a gargoyle expression.

"You have just fucked up, sister…" snarled Gallows (?), removing his gun from its cradle.

(Yeah, just screwed your self royally….Oh yes you did…….YOU STUPID BITCH)

__

(Ah, blood shed…..love it….

****

(Virginia, damn it, RUN!)

Virginia and Gallows stood in the state of checkmate, Gallows had his gun pointed at her stomach, while she had her guns pointed at his head. Whoever made the first move would live and the runner up would get the lovely prize of death. Their eyes met and locked, the animosity between the two, radiated in angry waves around them, both felt the rush of adrenaline and each had their reason for living….

( I won't lose to this DEMON! I don't care if I DO have to kill Gallows, I'll win….and he won't…)

(If I kill her, I will be free! I will go to Simulacrum and purge the evil that lurks there and then go home, bathed in the blood of my enemies, and if need be, my allies! You will not STOP me, Virginia!)

**__**

(Kill me Virginia, protect yourself….you mean more to me then anything in this cold world…I just wish that I could have told you……Then….then……)

Yeah, I know, a little short…I promise the next Chapter will be much longer and gorier…and yes, Gallows is going to get hurt A LOT more! ^ ^ Bye!


	3. Checkmate

**__**

The trigger felt so cold underneath his sweating finger, the tear that was falling down his face was ripped roughly from its path and was carried on the wings of the rising wind. His hand trembled and his eyes burned with insane passion.

"Virginia…" he rasped, trying to keep the insanity from seeping into his tone. Virginia looked at him, but not once did the resolve of ending his misery leave her expression.

"Gallows, stop this, I don't want to hurt you…"

(Gallows, please…SNAP OUT OF THIS!)

"Virginia…run….." He said, tightening his hand tentatively on the trigger, feeling another agonized tear run down his face. Virginia shook her head 'no' and edged the guns a little to the left and right of his head and closed her eyes.

(I am so sorry Gallows…I have to do this…)

The dual pistols reports were loud and cruel in the cool night air and the bullets cut though the wind like screaming vultures. Gallows' eyes widened as the bullets cut a strand of hair from both sides of his head and he dropped his gun in a state of shock. 

(She….She….Just….SHOT me?)

Virginia smiled a little and grabbed Gallows' Modified Coyote from beside his feet.

"Game over…" she whispered breathlessly, unloading the shells from the chamber and throwing them on the ground. Gallows watched in dull amazement as the bullets fell to the ground with a monotonous clang. He blinked and then looked back up at Virginia with a look of anger and surprise.

**__**

(Yes! Way to go Virginia!)

Damn it! What the hell is wrong with you? Get the damn gun BACK!

(………No….)

"Vir…Virginia….?" He whimpered, reaching a shaking hand out for her.

( He could be reaching for his GUN, you idiot, throw it somewhere!)

Virginia nodded and gently tossed his gun to one side, spun her two pistols in a graceful circle around her finger and put them in her holsters.

(Now you see them, now you don't! All for your amusement..)

" I want to talk to you, not fight you! Gallows, come back to me!" she said, her voice trembling a little.

Gallows' eyes had returned to normal after she had pulled the trigger, but they were starting to regain their warmth as well! He smiled a little and dropped his hand to his side, a gesture of respect and amnesty. Virginia, noting this change, smiled and reached out her small pale hand, indicating that she accepted the cease fire with an open heart and a stilled hand. Gallows looked at her hand for a moment and then slowly brought his hand up and enveloped hers with a gentleness that surprised even Virginia.

(Man, I wasn't expecting him to be so gentle…He did just….No…NO!…He did NOT murder ANYONE!)

"Virginia?" inquired Gallows with concern, removing his hand from hers with a certain degree of hurt.

( I thought that she had forgiven me!)

__

Why should she? You are nothing but a..

****

(SHUT UP! JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP)

A cold blooded murderer… Face up to the facts, you damn moron, life will be much easier once you do..)

Virginia looked at him with compassion and walked up to him cautiously, causing him to look down at her with suspicion. Gallows shifted his weight and smiled a slightly bitter smile.

( Why is she looking at me like that? It's not like she cares!)

__

She doesn't, you little queer, and you want to know why?)

****

(Not really….)

It's because she doesn't like little, dirty, gay boys like you!

****

(Why don't you just go off and do something with yourself? You know, find a good porn and jack off somewhere..?)

That is something that you would do…

(……..)

"Gallows? Come on, Gallows, don't leave me again!"

With a sob, she threw her arms around him and gave him a desperate squeeze, putting every ounce of emotion that she could into it. As soon as her arms went around him, he snapped out of his stupor and pulled away from her embrace in a state of despondency, shaking his head slowly back and forth.

"No Virginia, I am not enough for you…" he rasped, closing his eyes solemnly to block her tearful gaze.

"Gallows, what do you mean?" she said reaching her hand out to touch his shoulder. His eyes snapped open and he backed away from her outstretched hand, causing Virginia to drop her hand to her side in a defeated gasp. Gallows did not look at her, he did not feel worthy enough, and he sure as hell didn't feel confident enough to meet her kind but distressed face. Perhaps the entity was right…perhaps he was nothing but a..

(Hey look everyone, it's pretty boy Carradine! Hey Carradine, kiss any cute boys lately?)

**__**

(I don't want to remember this…)

Hmmm…Why is that? Is it because it disillusions your MANLINESS!

Gallows looked at Virginia, his eyes an inferno of emotion, she looked at him just as intently and squared her shoulders with pride, shooting a glance at his Coyote.

( Why don't you…..?)

__

Prove to her…

****

(ENOUGH! I'VE HAD ENOUGH,GO SOMEWHERE ELSE AND TORTURE ME LATER!)

There was an amused snicker from the entity and then an empty feeling pervaded his being, filling him with a sense of loneliness and fear.

" Why….?" He fell down to his knees and cradled his head in his bloody hands.

"I don't want to be…" he closed his eyes and shook his head back and forth, his hands falling slowly from his head and to his sides. Virginia looked at him for a moment and then dropped down in front of him, a small smile on her tear stained face.

"Don't want to be what, Gallows?" she said, pushing a strand of hair out of his face gently, and then dropping her hand to her side with a frown.

"Sasii…." He said softly, opening his eyes and looking at her with anguish.

"Sasii?" uttered Virginia, completely confused by Gallows' words.

"The Demon of……Malice…." He whispered, a shudder coursing through his body with a vengeance.

Virginia blinked at him and put her hand carefully on his shoulder, making sure not to make any sudden movements. Gallows looked at her hand and then looked her in the eyes.

"Can a monster love?" he murmured, closing his eyes so that what he felt would not be conveyed in their depths. Virginia smiled and removed her hand from his shoulder slowly, feeling an age old emotion that a lot of people would call "love". She scooted a little closer to him and put her hand on his face, feeling the fever of insanity seep into her flesh. She willed herself not shiver, but instead put on a very serious face.

"Gallows, anyone or anything can love…..I believe very strongly in that…And, if you are trying to call yourself a "monster", I will be very upset with you.."

Gallows opened his eyes and looked at her in a flabbergasted manner, she sure was blunt!

"……Virginia…?" he stuttered, trying to decipher her expression of seriousness (and failing horribly).

(Is she serious, or is she just sort of serious?….Mweh, women are confusing…I better stop while I'm ahead…) Gallows' flabbergasted look transformed into a small smile.(But she sure is cute when she looks at me like that.. It is as if she's saying, "Stop being stupid, you dumb man, and look at me!")

" Hey, are you even LISTENING to me, Gallows Carradine?" she snapped playfully, a big smile on her face. Gallows looked at her smiling face and his grin widened a little bit more.

"Yes Ma'am, I sure am!" he laughed playfully, nudging her softly on her shoulder. Virginia laughed and grabbed his hand as he was removing it from her shoulder. 

"Uh-uh, you ain't going to get away that easily, Mr. Carradine, you still owe me a hug!"

Gallows blushed a little and scratched the back of his head.

"Come again? When where was there a mention of a hug? I don't seem to recall…" snickered Gallows, trying, playfully, to pull his hand away from Virginia's.

It was Virginia's turn to blush.

"It was a subliminal message…" she mumbled, the smile melting into a frown of concentration. Gallows watched this transformation with a great deal of perplexity, trying to figure out the best course of action.

He ceased his playful tugging and smiled a lopsided grin at her. She returned the smile halfheartedly and tightened her grip on his hand tenderly, trying her best to convey the warmth that she felt.

All of the sudden, a shrill shriek ripped through his skull and he closed his eyes with agony, trying to calm the howling tempest . A gruesome scene burned itself into his retina's and his heart accelerated to an abnormal pace. He opened his eyes and stared blankly at Virginia, tears of agony burning a path down his face, he could not blink, could not scream…all he could do was watch helplessly as the woman in his vision was ripped apart..

"No…." whispered the woman hoarsely, pulling her arm away from the unknown assailant. There was a dark laugh and then a hiss, a sound that froze Gallows' blood and made him feel ill.

"Woman…" mouthed the Entity, forming its words with Gallows' lips and strained voice.

"You made a deal with me…." 

The Entity reached out again and roughly grabbed the woman's arm. The woman screeched loudly and tried to pull away again, her long white hair steaming in wet strands around her face.

The Entity laughed and gave her arm a pull, Gallows winced as he felt the woman's arm dislocate and then fall limply against his(?) clenched hand.

(No…Why?)

The woman screamed and watched as a river of blood poured out of the empty socket, her gray eyes wide with shock and horror. Gallows felt his stomach churn as he watched the veins sway and spray the woman's life energy onto the non-existent floor.

" You will never die…" snickered the Entity, still using Gallows' voice.

"Ever…" whispered Gallows, watching as the scene started to fade.

The first thing he felt was a droplet of warm water on his chest, he had inadvertently closed his eyes and was shaking with a mixture of rage and fear. His heart was still pounding in his chest and his throat was dry and scratchy, he did not want to open his eyes in fear as to what he would see when he did..

(Is it raining?)

Then his hearing kicked in and he heard muffled sobbing and sniffling, with a great deal of will power he opened his eyes and looked down at the source of the sobbing. 

It was Virginia, she was sobbing bitterly into his shoulder, tightening her grip around his neck every time she sobbed. Gallows blinked and put his arms around her slowly, trying his best to make sense of it all.

"Virginia.." He said quietly, running his shaking fingers through her hair, trying his best to comfort the poor girl. Virginia's sobbing tapered off and her tears fell less frequently on his shoulder.

"Please don't ever do that again…Please…." She whispered, slowly pulling away from him and looking at him with an expression that could have broken Jet's heart.

"….." Gallows was at a loss for words, what was he supposed to say?

(Gee babe, I'm sorry, I'll try not to lose my mind so often….)

He released his hold on her and smiled at her bitterly, Virginia looked at him warily, not knowing what to do or say. After what seemed to be an eternity, Gallows' voice broke the monotonous silence.

"It's back…" he rasped with sarcasm, his hand shaking with silent fury.

Virginia nodded and took his hand into hers, startling him a little.

"I know Gallows, and I am not going to let it win…" she replied, in a very calm but determined voice.

Gallows looked at the ground and then at her, his eyes dull and lifeless.

"How are you going to fight what you can't see?" he grumbled, trying to pull his hand away.

Virginia smiled a little and tightened her grip, Gallows eyes widened, she had a very good grip!

"We fought a dream demon Gallows! Remember? We fought her and we WON! Doesn't that tell you something?! Doesn't that tell you that…." Virginia's excitement faltered a little and was replaced with a touch of embarrassment. "Doesn't that tell you that we all have something special..?" she whispered, placing her other hand on his face. Gallows blinked and once again was at a lost for words.

"Yes but…." Started Gallows, trying to snap out of his daze and failing miserably.

"No buts, I want you to look me in the eyes and say that you are special!" demanded Virginia, lightly tapping him on the face. Gallows blushed a little and was about to open his mouth when he heard the entities voice once again.

__

I just could not leave you alone! It is so BORING being good! Hey Gallows, you don't think that…?

****

(Shut up, this is my dream, not yours, go to hell!)

Goodness, aren't we the little bitchy one today!?

****

(………)

"Gallows….Come on, ignore it!" came Virginia's voice from a far away dimension.

**__**

(Ig….nore….it….)

"I….I…" stuttered Gallows, trying to piece together his words.

"Gallows, I know that you can do this! Fight it, Gallows, kick its ass" shouted Virginia fervently, removing her hand from his face and tightening her grip on his hand. Gallows flinched at the pressure and looked down at her other hand. Her eyes narrowed with determination and she grabbed his other hand.

"Gallows, it is NOT going to win! Do you hear me? IT IS NOT GOING TO WIN!" she shouted, tightening her grip on both of his hands. Gallows' eyes glazed over with tears as he struggled to win against this strange entity. The distinct sound of bones cracking made Virginia loosen her grip on Gallows' hands.

(I just broke his hands..)

She sobbed and slowly lowered them to his side, careful not to put additional pressure on them.

She looked at his face and sobbed a little bit harder, his face had no emotion whatsoever.

(Did he even feel his hands breaking?)

Gallows lips twitched into a smile and he looked at her venomously.

"You will not win, Virginia, Gallows is mine! His body, his soul…..everything…stop fighting the inevitable… You should know that you can not win!"

Virginia glared and slapped Gallows/Entity in the face as hard as she could.

"Don't tell me what to do, you disgusting son of a BITCH! I will keep fighting, I will keep struggling and I WILL win! I will not lose Gallows to you! Not now, not ever, so just give him back to me!" she screamed, clenching her fist with rage and contempt for the entity.

The Entity laughed at her and pulled back a clenched fist, Virginia's eyes widened when she saw him make that gesture. She knew that when one pulls back a fist, one is normally indicating that you are about to be on the receiving end of a punch! Virginia squared her shoulders and waited for the punch.

(If he hits me, it will be over for me! I must watch him carefully, I can not afford to make a mistake!)

**__**

(Like hell you will!)

With a mental heave, Gallows sent a shock of energy though his body, causing the Entity to fly back and land in a heap a couple of feet from Virginia!

**__**

(You will not lay one damn finger on her!)

But…how…?

"Gallows?!" Cried Virginia, running over to the young Baskar's side. Gallows shook his head and slowly got to his feet, swaying a little as he did so. Virginia was ready to catch him if he fell and was also anticipating an attack. Gallows smiled a little and dusted off his pants, looking sheepishly at Virginia as he did so. Virginia, seeing for a certainty it was Gallows, walked up to him and grabbed the hand that he was dusting his pants off with. He stopped the motion of dusting and looked at her with befuddlement.

"What?" he asked simply, trying to decipher the smile that had all of the sudden crossed Virginia's face.

"You….You fought it off…" murmured Virginia, her smile brightening into an expression of pride.

Gallows smile widened a little and he closed his eyes and scratched the back of his head.

"I guess that I did, huh?"

__

Do not hold a celebration party just yet, this is FAR from over, you may have one this battle, but you will not win the war!…..Tell your little whore that as well!

****

(…..You know what? I ain't even going to bother with you! And you want to know why?)

Not particularly, but I have a feeling that you are going to tell me anyway…

****

( I know what is in my heart, I also know that Virginia is not a whore, so, you're kind of screwed now ain't you! Ha! Now what do you have to say, oh great entity of DOOM!?)

Gallows smiled a lopsided grin and winked at Virginia, causing her to blush a little.

"Well, little lady, looks like we've got some talking to…" Gallows moved his hand and winced.

" Ouch…" Whimpered Gallows, looking down at his broken hands morosely. Virginia's face fell into a look of pity and she reached out and gingerly touched his hands with both of hers.

" I'm sorry Gallows, I didn't mean to break your hands…" whispered Virginia on the verge of tears.

To her surprise, Gallows laughed and put his arm around her shoulder.

"Don't you be crying over little old me! I'll have this fixed in a blink of an eye!……"

Gallows looked around for the Medium of Schturdark and found it laying on the ground a couple of feet from where he fell. He was about to pick it up, when he remembered the state of his hands. Virginia, noting the look on his face, picked it up and invoked the healing essence that resided within.

A warm glow emanated from the Medium and then tiny orbs of blue light shot from it, hung in the air for a moment or two, and then landed softly into Gallows' outstretched hands.

(It feels so warm..)

Virginia smiled and put the Medium in her vest pocket, Gallows watched as she did this a bemused smirk.

(She's so cautious now..)

The smile fell into a frown and he stuffed his hands into his pockets moodily.

(She's cautious because I am insane…)

"Gallows, are you all right?" Inquired Virginia, taking note of his melancholic disposition.

Gallows nodded his head and avoided her concerned gaze by looking at the ground.

"You know Gallows, if something is on your mind, I would be happy to listen.." said Virginia, putting her hand softly on his shoulder. Gallows finally locked eyes with her and chuckled a little bit.

"I just noticed that you did not give the Medium back to me…Why is that?"

Virginia smiled and took the Medium out of her vest pocket, holding it out for Gallows to take. Gallows took his hands out of his pocket, but did not reach for the Medium immediately.

"Go on Gallows, I trust you." She said, grabbing his hand gently and opening up his clenched fist. Gallows watched and did nothing as she placed the still warm Medium in his hands. 

"Virginia.." he whispered, noticing that she did not remove her hand from his. He closed his eyes and smiled bitterly. She looked at him warily and was expecting the worse.

" There is something I need to tell you…"

Virginia watched as his eyes slowly opened and glowed a light blue, it was then she realized that Gallows was not who he seemed to be.


	4. The Truth

**__**

Chapter 4: The Truth

Virginia blinked at Gallows sudden change, it was as if someone had just threw a vat of cold water on her and then dropped the night air to below-zero for good measure.

"Gallows, what are you saying?" inquired Virginia shakily, squeezing his hand a little.

"Virginia, if you had to describe me, how would you go about it?"

There was silence for a few moments, Virginia did not want to give the Entity leeway.

"Well, you are a sweet man with a big heart…." Whispered Virginia, trying her best to keep calm.

Gallows shook his head slowly from side to side, his bitter smile warming up a little.

"Okay, that's what my sweet leader would say, now ,what does Virginia say?" asked Gallows, gently tapping the tip of Virginia's nose with his forefinger. Virginia smiled a little and looked at the ground, trying her best to hide the blush that was spreading across her face at an alarming rate.

"Umm.. I would say that, even though you are a bit of a womanizer, you are a GREAT person!" Virginia nodded her head once and then gave Gallows' hand another squeeze.

"Well Virginia, there is a reason for that, I am, by nature, a very respectful man…but…." Gallows pulled his hand away from Virginia's and started to draw pictures in the sand with the other.

"Certain circumstances have caused me to be indifferent and somewhat idiotic…."

Virginia looked at Gallows, at a lost for words out of both surprise and pity.

"Within me lies another being….. another world…." Whispered Gallows, closing his eyes with a sigh.

"Gallows, do you mean to tell me that the horrible entity that you harbor is actually a fragment of your personality? Gallows…..Please.. PLEASE tell me that the entity is not one of your personalities!"

Gallows' eyes snapped open and he looked at her with shock and agony, he felt as if someone had just ripped out his heart and then stepped on it with spurs on.

"No Virginia The Entity is NOT one of my personalities! I don't know WHERE that evil bastard came from, but I know that he did not come from me!" roared Gallows, startling Virginia a little.

(Then, if he is not speaking of THAT Entity.. Then what IS he talking about?)

"Gallows, please tell me more…I want to know more about you……and the Entity." Said Virginia, blushing near the end of her sentence. Gallows smiled a little and patted her hand warmly, making sure that there was no blood on it before he did so. Virginia smiled back and put her hand on top of his, tapping his fingers with hers lightly. 

"This "being" calls itself "Rsalis….He is very intelligent and gets frustrated with me because I am somewhat of an idiot…"

Virginia shook her head "no" at this statement, but Gallows smiled a knowing smile, indicating that he KNEW that he was an idiot and that she was just trying to be nice to him. 

"Virginia, I know that I am not the brightest person in the world…But, thanks to Rsalis, I have some fascinating insight on things in general…"

"Like what?" inquired Virginia, all of the sudden very fascinated by Gallows' words.

"For instance, blood, to most people, is dark red, but to me, I see all sorts of colors mixed in with the red."

"Huh? I'm sorry Gallows, I'm just not following you…"

" Blood carries ones life essence, hence it carries their aura as well!" said Gallows with a patient sigh.

"Oh, so because an aura has different colors, and because the aura is carried around in the blood, you see different colors. Am I right?"

"Precisely." Said Gallows with an approving nod.

"So what else do you know about?" pressed Virginia, wanting to hear more.

__

Nosy isn't she?

(**_Butt out buddy, you can torture me all you want later, just let me have some peace for now!_**)

__

Very well…Just remember…When I come back, I will make you suffer..

(**_I am quite aware of that, now….. if you would….?)_**

The Entity sighed, and ripped itself from Gallows' body, causing a little bit of pain in the process.

(He was fighting it again….He's incredibly strong to keep battling it off like that..)

Gallows frowned and pulled his hand out from between Virginia's.

"Have you ever seen someone die?" asked Gallows, bowing his head and closing his eyes.

"Yes, I watched my mother die….." murmured Virginia, a tear welling up in her eye. Gallows opened his eyes and looked at her with compassion, he felt like such an idiot now.

"I'm sorry Virginia, I didn't mean to dig up old bones….I feel bad now…." Sulked Gallows, trying to think up a way to make Virginia feel better. Virginia wiped her tear away and smiled falteringly at Gallows.

"It's okay, Gallows, I just get like this sometimes…." 

"Did you know that when someone dies, their souls turn into a beam of rainbow colored light and it shoots straight into the heavens? It's quite pretty…." Whispered Gallows, pushing a strand of hair from Virginia's face and then dropping his hand back to his side. Virginia felt an unexpected tear fall down her face and quickly wiped it away, causing Gallows to look at her with concern.

" I didn't know that Gallows. It sounds beautiful."

"It is… I never thought that death could be so bright and proud…."

"Gallows, do you see spirits sometimes?"

There was a brief silence and then:

"Yes, I do."

" How often? I mean, where do you see them?"

" I saw a visage of your mother once…. "

Virginia gasped and grabbed Gallows hand, forgetting that, just moments ago, he had killed someone.

"When did you see her? How was she? What was she doing?" stuttered Virginia, the words tumbling out of her mouth in a frenzy. Gallows smiled gently and scratched his chin, trying to think of the best way to answer her questions. After a couple of moments, he dropped his hand down into his lap and frowned.

" It was the night before we went to Yggdrasil, everyone was asleep except for me…I heard you crying in your sleep, so I looked in your direction and saw a beautiful woman standing by your bed. I was about to say something, when she turned toward me and put her finger to her lips in a silencing motion.."

"….. Did she say anything?"

"No, she just smiled sadly and then bent down and kissed your forehead…." Gallows smiled at this point and fell backwards suddenly, startling Virginia as he did so.

" Gallows?!" exclaimed Virginia, rising suddenly to make sure he was okay. Gallows laughed and sat back up. Virginia scowled at him and sat back down in front of him.

"Sorry…I was just admiring the stars…"

All of the sudden he felt a painful pressure on his heart and a throbbing dullness in his mind.

__

Enough Gallows…I am back.. it is time to go….

Gallows sighed and closed his eyes, he knew that he could not win against the Entity at this point.

"Virginia, I must go now….Simulacrum is beckoning….." Gallows stood up and looked down at Virginia longingly… wishing only to talk to her as himself for a couple of more minutes.

"Gallows, can I come with you? I know that I could…" Gallows silenced her by holding up his hand.

"No, I will not put you in danger…..I can't put you in danger….You are my other half…."

"WHAT?!" cried Virginia, both embarrassed and surprised by Gallows' strange words.

" In my heart lies the god of death….Within yours, lies the goddess of life…I can't let such a beautiful light die so suddenly… I am….." Virginia stopped him by pulling him into a tortured embrace.

"Gallows, I don't want you to fight alone! If I am your other half, then we should fight together! What is darkness without light?……"

"……… Virginia…. I don't want to see you die…. I don't want to see that beautiful light flow from your being so coldly! Virginia, I don't care if I die! I….."

"Gallows, I won't die…." She smiled and grabbed his hand with great enthusiasm. " I can't die! I'm with you! Two halves make a whole, you can't win without me, and I can't win without you!" She dropped her hand to her side, still smiling as big as she could.

__

No, we can't have dead weight following us you FOOL!

" ……. Okay Virginia….but…." he faltered, swallowed hard, and then continued. "If I try to hurt you…You must promise to kill me…. I will not let your light be swallowed by my darkness.."

"You have my promise… " said Virginia, holding her hand out for him to take. With a smile, Gallows took her hand and shook it. 

"Then we have a deal!"

Virginia nodded and reluctantly let go of his hand, looking him in the eyes as she did so.

__

Sa's Riso laso KANA

(… What the hell are you doing?)

The Entity snickered and all of the sudden the ground beneath the two shook violently.

(**_You son of a BITCH! You summoned a monster, didn't you?_**)

The only response that he got was an explosion of sand in front of him.

Virginia grabbed his gun and threw it at him, he caught it perfectly and smiled at her. She smiled back and pulled out her twin pistols, and unlocked the safety on both of them.

"Let's rock!" laughed Gallows maniacally, watching as the earth gave birth to a gigantic half organic-half mechanical sand worm with a spiders body as its head. Virginia took in a deep breath and aimed at its head. The creature let out a harsh scream and lunged at the target that reflected in its eight eyes: Virginia.

Virginia's eyes narrowed as the monsters arms swung down at her, at the last moment, she dodged its swipe and shot at the spiders midsection as she fell down to the ground. The creature screamed as black blood poured out of its stomach and onto the sandy earth. Gallows flashed Virginia a thumbs up and then aimed at the worms exposed belly. For some reason, his eyes seemed to zoom in, and he pointed his gun at one of the grooves on the sand worms body.

"Time to say goodbye, you nasty worm!" growled Gallows, focusing his energies into his ARM and pulling the trigger. A black void was expelled from the gun and rushed toward the worm at ungodly speeds. Virginia could have sworn that she saw the monster twitch right before the void hit.

The creature screamed as it was ripped inside out and into the hole, it's inwards falling out of the void and onto the already bloodstained desert floor. Virginia's mouth hung open as the monster disappeared into the nether world, sans its innards. Gallows put his gun away and looked at her with a slightly insane look on his face. Virginia gave him a wary smile and put her guns away and glanced over at the innards with a cringe. She almost felt sorry for the monster……almost…

(Where the hell did that thing come from? I have never seen that type of creature before!)

"Gallows?" asked Virginia in a shaky voice, looking up at him.

"Hm?" 

"What was that thing?"

"Kanas La' Masih…" responded Gallows, sounding rather unimpressed.

"Kanas….La'…Masih…?" 

Gallows nodded at her question and looked at the monster.

" An ancient monster spawned from the union of a spider demon and a sand worm….Rather gruesome combination…" He looked at her, the insane light of blood lust still prevalent in his eyes. "Wouldn't you agree?" finished Gallows with a superior smirk. Virginia nodded her head "yes" at his question and looked at the innards once again.

"It's kind of sad really…. The creature I mean….It went down…." Virginia's sentence was interrupted by the ground quaking again. Virginia lost her footing and felt herself fall backwards, unable to regain her balance. She cursed inwardly at her clumsiness and waited for the painful impact, that impact never came however, Gallows had caught her in his arms and held her steady for a moment.

"Are you all right, Virginia?" asked Gallows with worry, pushing her gently to her feet.

"Yeah, I'm fine, thanks for catching me!" smiled Virginia, closing her eyes briefly.

"Save your thanks for later! We have a slightly BIG problem on our hands!" snarled Gallows, readying his gun and glaring at Virginia. Virginia nodded and pulled out her guns and got them ready.

A screech of fury resounded behind them and they whirled around with their guns at ready. Virginia gasped and then said a small curse when she saw a demon the size of a house glaring down at her. With a snarl, she aimed her guns at its knee caps, the weakest area of its body that she could aim at with ease.

"Gallows, what should we…?" Virginia's question was cut off by Gallows' insane laughter. She looked at him in a rather confused manner and raised her eyebrow with concern.

"We kill it, of course!" He snarled, loading bullets into his Modified Coyote.

(Of course…) Thought Virginia dejectedly, her heart sinking down into her feet.

"Okay Gallows…" she said, narrowing her eyes and pointing her guns at the Demon.

"Ah, Roka….It has been a while…." Roared the demon with gusto, clicking his tongue against his blood caked teeth. Gallows nodded his head in acknowledgment, but said nothing.

**__**

(Why am I nodding to this demon? I should be SHOOTING it! Who the hell is Roka? Damn it you son of a bitch, ANSWER me!) Thought Gallows, his heart about to explode with rage. There was no response from the Entity and the eerie silence continued. The Demon looked down at Virginia and smiled a sharp-toothed smile. Gallows looked at her, a smile playing across his lips, a pained expression in his eyes.

(Gallows, what's HAPPENING to you? Why are you staring at me like that?)

"Ah, so you have bought yourself a harlot have you?" laughed the demon cruelly, spitting a small shower of blood and rotting flesh at his feet.

Gallows looked at the blood and then smiled at the demon menacingly, his eyes flashing gold for a brief moment. Virginia gasped and stepped away from him, knowing that he was not himself.

"Yes." Said Gallows in a strangely flat voice, "She is my whore…."

Virginia glared at him and, with a snarl, aimed her guns at the demon's midsection.

"What did you DO to him, you son of a BITCH!"

The demon laughed at this and glared down at her with his blood red eyes aglow.

"I did nothing to him, THIS is Gallows! This is the man that had his.."

"SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP!" screamed Gallows, grabbing the sides of his head and shaking it side to side. Virginia looked at Gallows, at first with confusion and then with a certain degree of warmth and moved toward him slowly. With a groan, Gallows aimed his gun at Virginia, his eyes flickering between gold and blue. Virginia backed off and dropped her guns to her side dejectedly, he was almost gone now, she could feel it…Hell, she could TASTE the stench of evil around him. Gallows started to pull the trigger and Virginia smiled a little, with a glance at the demon, she ran forward and tackled Gallows with all of her strength, knocking him down and causing her to plummet forward toward his downed and angry form. With a grunt, she landed on her hands and half flipped, half rolled over Gallows , grabbing his hands and pinning them to the ground in a smooth movement, causing Gallows to snarl something fierce.

"Get OFF of me!" snarled Gallows, trying to pull himself up, but, to his surprise, Virginia had him in a position so that he could NOT get up!

**__**

(Wow Virginia, you got me good…Don't let me go…I don't want to hurt you!)

Virginia sulked at the infuriated Gallows and then smiled at him a little.

" Oh baby, you weren't saying that last night!" she snickered, her smile widening. The demon closed his eyes and then blinked a couple of times. Had he heard what she had said correctly? Gallows stopped struggling and looked up at her dumbfounded, for the first time, the Entity AND Gallows were at a lost for words. The demon snarled with impatience and started to advance on Virginia, Virginia's glare made him freeze in his tracks. Her eyes were fiery, hateful, and a bit desperate. The demon cackled and with a screech of agony, pulled a sword from his stomach! A river of blood flowed from his mouth and cascaded down to the ground in a silent rush, some of it splashing onto Gallows and Virginia.

"I know who you are…ROKA!" spat Virginia, glaring down at Gallows' golden eyes. His eyes narrowed and he spat in her face. With a smile, she returned the favor and then stuck her tongue out at him. 

The Entity named Roka, glared at Virginia and closed his eyes with annoyance, secretly drawing upon Gallows life as he did so. The demon howled and swung his sword down, Virginia watched in horror as the sword descended in its deadly arc, unable to move or speak. Her breath caught in her throat and she pressed her feverish forehead against Gallows' cold one. She let go of his hands and placed her arms protectively across his chest. She felt the wind from the sword crush the sand beside her, and she knew that soon…

(I am going to die….)

She waited that eternal second, waiting for the blade to slash cleanly though her soft flesh….Her dreary thoughts were interrupted by the demon's enraged screech, she opened one eye and then the other, afraid as to what she would see. She gasped as she looked up the blood stained sword, it was hanging several feet above her, with its owner was trying desperately to push it down to kill her. She looked down at Gallows and smiled a little when she saw HIS smile, and not the Entity's looking back at her. A fine line of blood trickled from his lips and his eyes were tinged with gold. With a shaking hand, he caressed her face, and the smile fell from his lips. Virginia grabbed his hand and held on to it as tight as she could.

"Gallows…" started Virginia mournfully, Gallows silenced her by putting his finger to her lips.

'Run." He whispered, removing his finger from its trembling resting spot. Virginia nodded and stood up, looking at the demon as she did so. The demon doubled its efforts with an enraged scream, and spat on the invisible force field protecting Virginia. Virginia gave Gallows one more pitiful glance and ran between the demons legs as fast as she could. The demon snarled as he watched Virginia run over a sand dune and disappear. He slowly turned his head and looked at Gallows' with malice.

"Why did you let her go?" snarled the demon, dropping the sword down to his side with disgust. Gallows smiled and fought Roka off a little bit more.

"Why, you ask? It is an emotion that you would not understand…" spat Gallows, sitting up slowly, still scowling at the demon quite a bit. The demon looked at Gallows/Roka with confusion, raising his sword a little in defense. Gallows felt a hot pain rip through his skull and blood poured from his ears. He fell down to the ground, writhing in agony and defeat. Roka was winning and Gallows knew that his time of being himself was short.

" I fight….. for…..Virg……ia…." he said through a bloody smile. He closed his eyes solemnly, his last fleeting thought was that of Virginia's sweet face. His body twitched and blood flew out in strings from his mouth as his head tossed back and forth in anguish.

Seconds later, Roka (In Gallows' body) opened his golden eyes and dusted the dirt from his jeans.

"It feels so good to be given a vessel once again!" laughed Roka, rubbing his stomach happily. The demon fell down to his knees and looked at Roka pitifully. Roka glared at him and signaled for him to rise with a wave of his hand. The demon rose and looked down at Roka nervously.

"Master Roka, your body is bloody….." stuttered the demon, cringing as he shoved the sword back into his empty abdominal cavity. Roka smiled coldly and pushed his long brown hair behind his ears.

"You are not looking to good yourself, Rlaza.. In fact you look like shit if I maybe so bold.."

The demon laughed and knelt down in front of Roka. Roka climbed on to his shoulders and Rlaza rose with pride and then started to sink into the ground, carrying Gallows' shell into the underworld.


	5. Chapter 5: The Prisoner Within

****

Chapter 5: The Prisoner Within

Roka looked around as he and Rlaza descended into the underworld, his eyes glittering with satisfaction. Rlaza put him down and watched with Roka as a huge eight foot demon with a horn coming from his forehead lumbered up. The demon bowed submissively and closed his eyes.

"Master…" said the demon in a gravely deep voice, opening his sable colored eyes. Roka signaled for him to rise and looked at him with an air of superiority. The demon rose and looked at Roka with a slight smile.

"Have you found the other half of the key?" inquired Roka, patting the key in his pant pocket (He had took it out of Gallows' vest pocket before Gallows had threw it off)

"Yes sir, Halle was pretty damn sharp to give him only one half of the key…" mused the demon.

"Yeah…Really bright…" nodded Roka, holding out his hand anxiously. The demon handed him the other side of the key. Roka smiled and closed his hand around the broken key, feeling its ancient power.

"I wonder though….How would Gallows have gained access into Simulacrum without the other half…?" mused the demon, watching as Roka pulled the other half of the key from his pocket and put the two halves together, resulting in a bright flash of light. The demon cringed and closed his eyes from the invading light. When he opened them, he noticed that Roka was smiling evilly.

"The answer, my friend, is simple. Gallows had the key within his soul…He holds within him the God of Death.. The key that Halle gave him contained the essence of the Goddess of Life. The two opposing elements allow the doors of Simulacrum to open." Explained Roka patiently to the demon.

"Oh." Said the demon, looking at the key that glowed in Roka's hand.

"Well, I must get going soon. Did you bring the Zanzir?" Inquired Roka of the demon. The demon looked at him guiltily and said nothing.

"Znas! The Master asked you a QUESTION, it would do you good to answer!" snarled Rlaza, shaking his fist at Znas. Znas cringed and shook his head "no" and feel to his knees, speaking in his native tongue.

"Enough, stand up, I can't stand it when people beg…" grumbled Roka quietly. Znas stood and looked down at his master nervously. Roka looked up at him, his eyes glowering menacingly.

"Why did you not get the sword of Sasnis? Could you not find it?"

"No Master.. It was nowhere to be found in this world…. "

Roka nodded and flicked his wrist nonchalantly, Znas' eyes widened as he was flung back several feet by an invisible force.

"Find the sword, I will stay here until you find it." Growled Roka impatiently, leaning against the wall and looking grumpily at Znas. Znas bowed and started to walk away when Roka broke the silence with a cough.

" Rlaza, you go with him, maybe the two of you can find it faster." He said, looking at Rlaza.

Rlaza nodded obediently and followed Znas, harboring ill will toward the demon that was in front of him.

"Within the prison of his mind, the young man weeps. "Where, oh where, is my mind that I seek?"

Gallows opened his eyes to a world of darkness and started to shake violently, he knew that voice….

"Roka…Why are you doing this to me?" mouthed Gallows, becoming aware almost immediately that his words were falling from his mouth and into the dark abyss. Roka laughed, and continued his maddening poem, his voice holding the insanity of a twisted god.

"Once the god of his world, he took all for granted and gave nothing back. All he wanted was a sane life and something that he would always lack. Love was what he dreamed, lust is what he gave, foolish man, your flaws will send you to your grave,"

"Roka…"

" Seeing the blood of innocence spilt, his mind left him on that day. All though he would never admit it or even know what to say."

Gallows closed his eyes and watched as a little girl danced merrily in front of the gates of Baskar Colony, her golden hair flying cheerfully around her round face, and a streamer of golden paper in her chubby hand. She whirled around and waved at Gallows with a big smile on her face. Gallows laughed and waved back at the little girl, and pushed a strand of hair that had blew into his face,

**__**

(It was windy that day… It was hard to smell….Was it the wind that…)

"Uncle Gallows, could you get my other streamer? It's on top of the herb barrels!" said the little girl, running up to a still growing Gallows. Gallows nodded and knelt down in front of her.

"I sure will! Would you like something to drink, Kasinna? You've been running around a lot." Said Gallows, a concerned frown etching itself onto his face. Kasinna laughed and threw her arms around his neck and squeezed, Gallows coughed a little and pulled away, grinning a playful grin.

"No, uncle Gallows, I just want my streamer!" said Kasinna, sitting down in front of the gates. Gallows nodded and turned around and walked toward his house, a cheerful grin on his face.

**__**

(I was 15 then…. I was baby sitting….Kasinna was only 5…. Too young….)

A shrill scream brought Gallows flying out of his house at top speed, a small sickle in one hand, a streamer in the other, and a sneer on his face. As he ran, a thousand thoughts flew through his mind.

(Is she being hurt by a human? Is it something that I can handle? Will I get there in time?)

He stopped dead when he saw the blood that was splattered all over the spears near the gate, Kassina's terrified scream brought him out of his daze and he snapped out of his stupor and looked toward the direction of the scream. He gasped when he saw the claw of a Barghest descend toward the little girl's throat. Gallows felt something inside his body snap, and with an almost primal growl, lunged at the Barghest with his sickle held up in the air and the streamer falling from his hand.

"DIE!" screamed Gallows, his tortured voice drowning out the Barghest's growl. With a snort, the Barghest yanked out the little girl's throat and turned to look at Gallows' balefully. Gallows' felt tears well up in his eyes, but it no longer mattered, getting emotional would not help him at this point.

**__**

(That was the first time that I cried.. I don't know if I cried because I was scared…or….)

"You son of a BITCH!" snarled Gallows, swinging the sickle at the Barghest's throat, the creatures eyes widened as the blade reflected in it eyes. Gallows' actions had been so quick that the beast could not react. With an insane smile, Gallows shoved the sickle through the creatures throat and then yanked out ITS throat. The creature convulsed twice and started to fall down on Kassina's fallen form, but Gallows would not stand for it, he shoved the creature in mid fall and watched as the Barghest landed several feet away from them. With a sob, Gallows picked up the little girl and pulled her bloody form to his chest.

"Why? Why didn't anyone help?" sobbed Gallows, rocking the little girl back and forth in his arms.

**__**

(As it turned out, everyone was gone that day….everyone….)

Gallows' felt a tear roll down his ghostly face and was frustrated that he could not wipe it away.

" Has it ever occurred to you that perhaps your mind was lying and there WAS someone there that day?"

Gallows, with a great deal of effort, shook his head "no" and started to focus on moving his arms.

" The people at my colony would NEVER ignore someone in need…." Hissed Gallows, discovering that he could actually TALK again! 

"Think you so? What makes you so confident in their compassion? Has the fact that they simply did not care ever enter your thoughts?"

"They are NOT heartless! Stop trying to confuse me!" rasped Gallows, trying to clear his throat.

Roka laughed at Gallows' discomfort, he would have to set him straight on a couple of things.

"First of all, your memory fails you at certain points. It is not that you are stupid, it's just that you have a poor memory." Snickered Roka, his voice reverberating in Gallows' skull.

"What does my memory have to do with anything?" snapped Gallows, getting feeling in his hands now.

"….You fool…Think back to that day… Remember…."

"….. Everyone was gone that…." Stuttered Gallows, clenching and unclenching his fist.

"No…. No they weren't…. Stop being so damn disillusioned by sentiments and actually THINK about what you are saying!" snarled Roka impatiently, sending a flash of agony through Gallows' brain.

Gallows' closed his eyes and focused on alleviating the pain. Roka snickered and Gallows' felt his presence behind him. Gallows opened his eyes and twitched his arm, Roka's presence vanished from behind him and reappeared to his distant right.

"That day… There were two other people there…" started Roka in a calm voice, moving behind Gallows slowly and reemerging to his left. Gallows' eyes followed Roka's spiritual signature as he moved.

" But… I remember Granny saying that everyone was to go to the Rasan Temple that day, and I was to stay in Baskar to watch Kasinna…"

"Ah, but what she DIDN'T tell you was that there was a reason that Kasinna had to stay behind. Didn't you know that Kasinna was considered to be of "tainted" blood ?"

Gallows, at a lost for words, said nothing in response, but darted his eyes back and forth with confusion.

"Yes…" continued Roka, moving back behind Gallows and staying there. "Kasinna and yourself were both considered black sheep… You, because of your incompetence and Kasinna because of her "tainted" blood."

" I- I don't understand… Why did they consider her to be "tainted"? I mean, yeah she was slow…but.." Gallows' face darkened and he swung his left arm out in a state of fury, "That doesn't mean that she was tainted! She was a sweet girl! How could..?"

"Shut up, Gallows…. Let me finish…" cut Roka's cold voice into Gallows' passionate rave. Gallows' blinked and looked at the ground, his chest heaving and his hands trembling.

"There is much you need to know…"

Virginia's eyes were blurred with tears as she ran, and there was no way that she could stop them. Gallows had risked his life to save hers and she repaid his kindness by…

(Running away… I ran away…I left him to die….)

She shook her head a little, causing the tears in her eyes to fly behind her in the wind.

(No more crying, I must get back to camp and get Jet and Clive to help me out! Clive probably remembers the coordinates and Jet has a good sense of direction….but….What do I have?)

"I have nothing to give…" mouthed Virginia, slowing down to a walk, her face falling with misery.

Oh, but that is not true child… spoke a gentle female voice in her head. Virginia stopped and looked around cautiously, making sure that someone was not playing pranks on her.

(Of course they wouldn't.. It's in the middle of the night…)

Child, this is no joke.. I am here with you.. I feel your agony.. Please listen to what I have to say.

"Who are you?" asked Virginia wearily, no longer looking around and twiddling her fingers nervously.

My name is Rnaia, the Goddess of Life..

"B-but… isn't there already a…. Never mind.. dumb question.." muttered Virginia, starting to walk again. Rnaia laughed and Virginia felt a gentle warmth course through her body, it felt like a warm spring day in her heart. Virginia looked straight ahead and said nothing, she could think of nothing beneficial to say.

Child, there are Guardians, Guardian Lords, and Gods… Each has their purpose on Filgaia…

" Oh.. So what are you doing with me? I don't mean to sound rude, but I imagine that you have more pressing matters to attend to...Besides… Gallows is…" Virginia cut off her sentence with a bitter sob. A gentle flow of compassion flowed through her heart and she started to cry again.

(I thought that I told myself not to cry…)

There is nothing wrong with tears when they are cried for the one that you love…

(I don't LOVE Gallows…He's….he's…a friend….)

You say that you do not love him, and yet you are weeping for him… I do not understand..

(I… I… Don't know WHAT I feel for him…)

"And I'm afraid to find out…" said Virginia out loud, a salty tear dripping into her mouth.

Why are you afraid of the wonders of life? Gallows cares for you, more than you can fathom..

"Then why did he not say anything to that effect? Why does he act like such an IDIOT?" fumed Virginia, pushing a strand of hair from her face heatedly.

Would you say that to Gallows if he were here right now? Would you speak such harsh words to the man that saved your life?…Or would you hold on to him and never let him go? asked the voice passionately, causing Virginia to blush a little and tug at her chestnut colored braid.

"I-I don't know what I would do if I saw him again…"

Did you know that my husband, Rsalis, resides within Gallows?

Virginia blinked, stopped her irritated stride, and scratched her chin.

"Isn't Rsalis the God of Death?"

That is correct. Do you see the connection now?

"So what Gallows said was true.. I really AM his other half…"

That is part of the truth, not all of it. The affinity between you two goes deeper than the connection between my husband and I. What you to feel is true love. There is no way around it.

"…. But what about my feelings toward Jet? I feel more attached to him then I do to Gallows.."

It is because he has lost so much and so have you… but… It is also apparent that Jet does not feel as passionately toward you as you do toward him.. The love you two share is more of a sibling type love…given time, however, it COULD evolve into something deeper..

"I hear a "but" lurking somewhere in your sentence.. Why is that?" inquired Virginia, slightly irritated by the Goddess' unwanted opinion.

(I don't WANT to be attracted to Gallows…. Or do I… Damn it, I'm all screwed up…)

Do you not want to be attracted to him because you fear what will come from it? Or do you feel so superior that you believe that he is simply not good enough for you? asked Rnaia, a tinge of venom dripping from her comely tone. Virginia flinched at the Goddess' statement and closed her eyes with a sigh.

" I don't think that I am to good for Gallows.. it's just that he's….A WOMANIZER!" sniffed Virginia, starting to walk again, her strides long and angry. Rnaia laughed mirthfully and Virginia could feel her smile. She clenched her fist and was about to lengthen her stride even more when she tripped over a hidden rock and fell face first into the sand. With an exasperated grunt, she pulled herself up and looked at the ground. Tiny droplets of blood spotted the ground and she put the back of her hand up to her nose.

(Great, now I have a bloody nose….)

She brought her hand down and looked grumpily at her blood-stained hand.

Are you all right, my child?

"Yeah, just a busted nose.. I'm fine.." mumbled Virginia, wiping the blood from her nose and standing up.

Do you remember the time that you saved that little boy?

Virginia stopped once again and rubbed her nose gingerly with her skirt, a look of surprise on her pale face.

"I haven't thought of that incident in about three years…."

Perhaps I should refresh your memory..

The young girl skipped through the town, holding on to the basket of groceries that she had just bought from the store. A big smile had settled upon her face, and she hummed a pleasing melody. Today was the first day of her life that she was able to go out on her own and buy groceries all by herself. 

(_I remember thinking that day…" Man, it's about time that Uncle Tesla and Aunt Shalte let me go out on my own! I AM 15 after all!"…. it was on that day that I met that mysterious boy…)_

"Hey you little PUNK, give me back my chocolate!" spat a rough looking kid with spiky red hair. His spiteful words were aimed at a frail little boy with blond hair and blue eyes.

"T-this is my brother's candy… he's sick… " stuttered the little boy nervously, shifting his gaze to the ground, trying to avoid the bullies caustic glare. The punk reached out to grab the bag containing the chocolate and the timid boy moved it out of range. Virginia watched carefully and slowly sat her basket down, getting ready to beat the crap out of the bully.

"I don't CARE if that's your brother's chocolate! Give it to me NOW!" Spat the bully. 

"Hey! Leave him alone you big idiot!" snapped Virginia, stomping toward the punk and the little boy.

The little boy looked at her and she nodded her head, indicating that he should run away. The little boy bowed and ran away, leaving just the bully and her in the relatively deserted streets.

(I remember now… It was early in the morning…. Not a lot of people were out at that time..)

The bully snarled and pulled back his sleeves, Virginia glared and cracked her knuckles.

"That was MY breakfast that just ran away!" snarled the little bastard. Virginia snorted and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, still glaring at the little punk.

"Well, you better find another meal ticket… It looks like the one that you had was expired…" snickered Virginia, waving her hand in a shooing motion and turning her head to ignore the punks evil gaze.

" Why you…!" The punk charged and Virginia expelled a chopped laugh, his moves were so damn EASY to read! She watched as he pulled his closed fist back and swung with all his might, she easily dodged it, grabbed his wrist and started to twist it, the punk fell down to his knee and grabbed at Virginia's hand.

"Give it up, punk…" spat Virginia, giving his arm another twist. The kid screamed and proclaimed his defeat. With a nod, Virginia let the kid go and watched as he ran away with tears in his eyes. She smiled and walked back over to the basket, that was when she heard the enraged scream coming from inside the store. With a start, she grabbed the basket and ran away from the town as fast as her legs could carry her.

When I saw you that day… When I saw you protecting the innocent… I knew that you were to be my vessel…. However.. Gallows' circumstances were a bit more gruesome and painful….

The image of the town faded and once again Virginia was surrounded by wasteland. She shook her head and started to walk again, periodically wiping the blood from her nose.

"So, what were Gallows' circumstances? I don't know a lot about him…."

Perhaps you should remain ignorant for a little while longer… Right now, I am more worried about Gallows' and my husband's safety…

" What kind of threat does Roka hold over your husband and Gallows?" inquired Virginia, cautiously stepping around a sleeping snake.

Well, Roka does not really pose a threat to my husband… It's just that Rsalis can not help Gallows' at all…. If he tried to fight Roka, the results would be most unpleasant…

Virginia swallowed hard at this comment, she really did not want to think of the repercussions.. 

( But.. Something inside of me wants to know…)

"What would happen if the battle were initiated? What would happen to Gallows?"

… His brain would cease to function due to the massive waves of energy being pumped through his receptors…. 

" Gallows…" Sniffed Virginia, dabbing at her eyes with the back of her sleeve.

(DAMN IT, I'm crying again….)

"What are the chances of Rsalis engaging Roka?"

The chances are slim, but if Roka somehow gets the key….

" Then Rsalis would have no choice but to kill Roka, and in turn kill Gallows.."

That is correct.. 

"What's so special about this "key"?"

It opens a locked door that leads to the Relic of Soanas..

"The Relic of Soanas?" asked Virginia, spotting the cave which held her team mates.

A relic capable of granting flesh and immortality to a wayward spirit.

" But why did Roka infest Gallows? Why not someone else?"

Because Roka knew that it was one of Gallows' trials… and also.. he wanted to torment his son..

Virginia's jaw dropped and she had to steady herself to keep from falling a second time.

" Roka is Gallows' FATHER?!"

Yes, and a Baskar of priestly blood is needed to break one of the seals on the door…

" Why couldn't Roka just infiltrate Simulacrum and go THROUGH the door to get to the relic?"

Because one of the seals is a spirit rune… Hence, the phantoms within Simulacrum can not pass..

" So human hands are necessary to open the door…"

Yes, that is true. There is something that is plaguing me though…

"What is that?" asked Virginia, stopping a good 7 meters from the cave and looking into its gaping mouth.

Somewhere in this world lies the Sword of Sasnis, the Zanzir …. A sword that possesses the ability to suck the energy from a sentient being and transfer it to the wielders own.. If Roka is controlling Gallows when Gallows wields the sword, Roka will be given the energy instead of Gallows, and it is a possibility that he could take on a solid form.

"That's not good…" muttered Virginia, starting to break into a walk and then into a good sprint.

( We must help Gallows! He needs us!)

He needs you most of all, my child, for you are the one that he loves…

Virginia nodded reluctantly and entered the dark cave, not knowing what to expect, and not really caring.

Jet drew his gun when he heard a ruffling noise toward the entrance, releasing the safety, he pointed the muzzle in the direction of the noise. He was prepared for anything, his muscles tense with anticipation and his eyes were sharp and keen. He was riled up and ready to rock.

" Who's there?!" demanded Jet of the unknown person. He heard an indignant female grunt and, with a smile, locked the trigger and put the gun back in its holster.

"You know Virginia.." said Jet, trying his best to sound caustic, " You really shouldn't be sneaking around with Gallows this late at night.. People might think some…."

"Gallows is not with me." Virginia said, cutting the rest of Jet's sentence short. Jet cocked his head to the side and blinked in Virginia's direction. Virginia stepped into his line of vision and he had to hold down a gasp of surprise, Virginia's pale face was covered with blood and a stain of gore stuck to her blouse like a gruesome decoration. He ran over to her, nudging Clive with his foot as he did so. The disgruntled sniper mumbled an incoherent curse and opened his eyes half way.

"What is it? It's Three in the…Virginia!" exclaimed Clive, no longer in a daze, his eyes widening with fear for his leader. He ran over to where Jet and Virginia were and put his hands on her shoulders.

" Did Gallows do this to you?" snarled Clive, giving Virginia's shoulders a light squeeze of concern.

" No! Gallows did not hurt me at all! He saved me!" exclaimed Virginia, looking at Clive with surprise. Clive's eyes lightened a little bit and he let go of her shoulders (much to Virginia's relief)

" Tell us what all of this is about?" demanded Jet, taking Virginia's hand and dragging her over to the rock with Gallows' bloody words on it. Before she sat down, Clive spotted the blood stained rock and gasped.

" I think," said Clive, his eyes narrowing, " We have a lot of catching up to do.."

Virginia nodded her head and sat down beside the rock, conveying her story in a rushed manner, trying her best to hurry things along so she could help Gallows.

He opened his eyes and looked around dazedly, everything was distorted and blurred and his head was pounding something fierce. With a grunt, he rubbed his eyes and blinked a couple of times, hoping that it would somehow clear his vision. It helped, to a certain extent, and he actually got a good view of his surroundings. He was in a cathedral of sorts, eerie music was emanating from the high vaulted ceiling and dull sunlight was filtering in through the dust caked windows.

(Where the hell am I?)

"Gallows.." whispered a sweet voice from behind him. He quickly whirled around and was met by nothingness. Was it his imagination perhaps? With a shake of his head, he ambled forward, swayed a little, steadied himself, and then proceeded to the front of the cathedral, a cold sweat breaking out on his neck and forehead. There were forms, he noted with a certain degree of horror, at least fifty of them, all sitting at the stone pews with their heads bowed. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed a little, trying to let all the information register in his distorted mind. It was then he felt a small warm hand touch his shoulder, he whirled around quickly, half expecting to be greeted by nothingness once again. However, such was not the case, there, in front of him, was a ghost from his past. It was none other than Kasinna, the sweet little girl that he thought that he had lost nine years ago.

"Kasinna.." whispered Gallows, his eyes filling with long forgotten tears. The little girl smiled and threw open her arms to the young Baskar. With a sweet smile, Gallows stepped forward and put his hands on the little girls shoulders. She was real, just as real as he was, and happy….and alive!

"Uncle Gallows! I've missed you, where's my HUG!" exclaimed Kasinna, her arms still extended. Still smiling, Gallows wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, the little girl returned the hug and giggled. Gallows kissed the top of her head and pulled away, his smile starting to fade.

(This can't be Kasinna, Kasinna died nine years ago! Then….)

He looked into her eyes and gasped, they were leaking blood and rotting out! Gagging, he pulled away and glared at the little girl. The little girl laughed and pointed her finger accusingly at her "Uncle Gallows".

"You did this to me!" she screeched, her fingernail yellowing and then falling off. Gallows stumbled back and looked at her repulsively. 

"I…I don't know what you're TALKING about! I tried to save.." stammered Gallows, only to be interupted by Kasinna's angry screech. Gallows held his ears and watched as his surroundings distorted.

"YOU COULD HAVE SAVED ME!" Kasinna screeched, walking toward him, her finger still pointed at him. Gallows backed up and reached for his gun, which, to Kassina's benefit, was not there. Gallows growled and stopped moving backwards and straightened his back,

(I can't let her scare me like this! I have to look past this.. ILLUSION!)

" I tried, but I was to late, I know that now….I no longer blame myself. Rest in peace Kasinna." Whispered Gallows, grabbing the little girl's decaying hand. Kasinna's eyes widened and then fell to the floor with a wet plop. Gallows took in a deep breath and watched as the little girl fell into ashes at his feet.

"I'm sorry…" murmured Gallows, scooping up the ashes in his hand and saying a small prayer. As soon as he had finished his prayer, the ashes turned into pinpoints of light and shot up into the sky. Gallows closed his eyes and fell down to his knees, feeling the floor dematerialize from beneath him.

(There are no more regrets…Except for..)

"Hey punk, did you here what I said?" broke a voice into his darkened thoughts. Gallows opened his eyes and was staring at black, worn out boots. Gallows snorted and got up, glaring at the kid with the black boots. He watched as a younger version of himself got pushed into a wall.

"Come on you fucking pansy, fight us!" taunted the kid in black boots. The adult Gallows looked at his younger self with disgust and a little bit of pity. With a sigh, he watched as 15 year old Gallows got punched in the face by the black booted guy.

(I guess that I remember his boots the most because that's mostly all I saw…but then…)

Gallows looked at the kid with black boots with pity, he knew what would happen next. The punk in the black boots pushed a hand through his short black hair and laughed ruefully, his gray eyes reflecting his animosity. Younger Gallows stood up shakily and wiped the blood from his nose, glaring at the boy.

"Oh, what is little pussy boy going to do now? Kill us with his GIRLINESS?!" asked the punk, nudging a blue hair boy roughly. The blue hair boy concurred with a caustic snicker.

"Hey look, everyone, its pretty boy Carradine! Hey Carradine, kiss any cute boys here lately?" said the blue hair boy in a high-pitched whiny tone. Gallows' blood froze when he saw his younger counterpart smile viciously and crack his neck by moving left to right.

" You know what?' growled the younger Gallows, his eyes alight with the flames of hatred. The two boys stopped smiling and watched as Gallows wobbled slowly over to them.

"I don't…."

(Have time to mess with idiots like you..) mouthed Gallows, already knowing the outcome.

"Have time to mess with idiots like you"

The punk with the black boots laughed ruefully and spat in the young Baskar's face, fueling his rage.

" So are you going to run home to MOMMY and…" his sentence was cut short by Gallows' fist to his face.

The blue hair kid looked at Gallows and was about to run when Gallows looked at him with cold blue eyes.

" No, you can stay, I have a bone to pick with you, you little fuck…" growled Gallows, his eyes lightening to white and starting to glow. The blue hair kid gasped and didn't move, his small hands shaking with fear.

"Why do you hang around with this idiot?" inquired Gallows, pointing to the still form of the black booted boy. The traumatized blue hair child did not respond with words, but shook his head with confusion.

" Go away, and take your idiot friend with you…."

The blue hair kid nodded and put his friend's arm around his shoulder, still looking at Gallows cautiously.

"What are you waiting for? Doom? Get MOVING!" Roared Gallows, pointing in a random direction. With a nod, the kid ran off, dragging his buddies limp form beside him.

That is the day that I saw potential in you, Gallows Carradine, that is when I saw you as my vessel.

(Rsalis…Why don't you help me? Help me fight Roka off!) thought Gallows, once again watching as the world faded to black. Rsalis sighed, and Gallows felt a wave of despair hit him full force.

If I tried to kill Roka, I would kill you as well. Killing my vessel is a BAD idea.

Gallows snickered at Rsalis, amused by his dark sense of humor.

(Yeah, I can see where that would be bad for you. So.. Roka is going to win then?)

It appears so. That is, unless of course, you can find a way out of this "prison".

(I will not give up. There has GOT to be a way out of this dump.)

Rsalis laughed a little and Gallows felt a tinge of embarrassment course through his body.

(I just called my brain a "dump", didn't I?) Mused Gallows, feeling both stupid and amused.

You did.

(….. Rsalis, let's find a way out of this hell hole! I want to protect Virginia and….everyone else…)

Let's get started then! I think that we should…

Someone was shaking his shoulder, hard, and asking for him to wake up. Roka opened his eyes and glared at the demon, Rlaza, maliciously. Rlaza shrank back but then regained his composure and handed Roka a blood red sword with a flared blade and a wicked looking sickle on the Tsuka Gashira (Tip of the sword handle). Roka accepted it with a wicked smile and touched the blade with his tongue. It tasted like dried blood and metal…a perfect combination in his opinion.

"I believe.." said Roka, still smiling maliciously, and evil light in his eyes "It is time for Gallows and I to have a little bit of "quality time" together. What do you think Rsalis?" inquired Roka, looking at his demon companion. The demon smiled a hideous smile and laughed a little.

" It think that it sounds like a WONDERFUL idea…"

Roka strapped the sword to his back and frowned, there would be a lot of work to be done.

"Are you ready, my liege?" asked Rsalis, kneeling down in front of Roka. Roka nodded and climbed onto Rsalis' shoulder.

(It's time to claim what is rightfully mine!)

"Immortality…" snarled Roka, a wicked smile once again crossing his face.


	6. The Mind's Eye

**__**

Chapter 6: The Window to the Soul

(It's strange to be an outsider in your own body. I look out the windows that are called my eyes and see the sunrise over the hell that is Simulacrum. We are about a mile away and I can STILL see that damn city, it's that big! When Granny told me about it, I thought to myself "Ah, it ain't going to be so bad." But now… I shudder when I see the empty and cold stone buildings, it feels as if they are tugging at my soul. Roka wants to stop before we get to Simulacrum, he says he wants to take a bath. And here I was thinking that HE was the anxious one. Well, color me surprised, so I guess even Roka has his scruples about dirtiness!)

Roka watched as the reflection of the sunrise turned the water red and then a slight gold color. He smiled, he had always like watching the sunrise when his wife was still alive. His smile twitched into a snarl, every time he thought about Mila he was hit by a wave of emotions and had to compose himself promptly. It would not serve him well to lose to himself AND his disgusting son!

_He killed her, the little bastard! His stupidity shamed her and she killed herself after giving birth to Shane. Yes, she slit her wrist one day and…_

(**Foolish man, why are you deluding yourself this way. YOU killed her with your own hands and you are blaming GALLOWS for a crime he did not commit! You are the bad guy here, not your son!)**

Roka flinched at the voice in his head and snarled a little, he wasn't supposed to be hearing voices!

__

Rsalis! Shouldn't you be with your "vessel" right now? I am not your little puppet, Gallows is, so leave me be and mind your own damn business!

(**Roka, you are the most idiotic man I have ever met, and that is saying a lot! You are currently possessing my vessel, and if I so desired, I could kill him and trap your soul in his body for eternity!**)

Roka shuddered at the concept of being trapped in Gallows' body, but nonetheless, he was curious as to why Rsalis HADN'T killed Gallows in order to stop him.

__

Why don't you kill Gallows and myself then? I mean, you are quite capable of it.

To this inane question, Rsalis chuckled mirthfully and Roka felt a stab of pain at the base of his skull.

(**Don't tempt fate my friend. The only reason I let you two live is because Gallows has someone he needs to protect. I think that deep down you understand his need to protect the ones that he loves.**)

Roka sighed a little and submerged his head in the warm water, causing Gallows to see the world through watery vision. After about half a minute, Roka's head broke the surface and he rubbed his face thoroughly.

__

Why did I kill her? I don't remember that part anymore..

(**Because you felt that she was suffering after she gave birth to Shane. It wasn't that you were evil, it was just that you could not stand to see the woman that you loved suffer…. You turned evil when you sold your soul…)**

Roka shook his head violently and stood up, ignoring the cool breeze that tickled his expose body. He closed his eyes and banged his head with his fist, surprising both himself and Gallows.

(Hey now, that's cold! Put me back in the water, I hate being cold and wet, it makes my..)

(**Gallows, I don't want to hear it. Roka is kind of losing his mind right now, it probably would be a good idea to calm him down don't you think?)**

Gallows nodded his head in agreement and fought the urge to force Roka back down into the water.

(What can I do to help?)

(**Talk to him. That's all I can say on the matter.**)

(But he hates me, I can't just walk up and talk to him! I'm having a hard enough time keeping MY sanity, and now you want me to help keep Roka's?!)

(**Gallows, stop underestimating yourself! You are a lot smarter than people give you credit for. I will put Roka to sleep, invade his dreams and talk to him there!)**

(Y'know, it sucks being a stranger in my own body…)

****

(It'll all be over soon… One way or another.)

Gallows shivered and felt a wave of sleepiness tug at his mind.

__

I killed her… no… GALLOWS killed her.. he….

Roka felt his legs turn rubbery and he sank back into the pool of water, his eyes rolling back into his head and then closing.

__

All his fault…

Roka opened his eyes and looked around at the surreal dreamscape with confusion and a little bit of fear. A fine fog floated eerily above the reddened ground and dead leaves scuttled over his bare feet. He knelt down and picked up some dirt, noting the moist and sticky consistency of it. With a worried frown, he let the dirt fall from his shaky hand and watched with grim amazement as it turned to blood.

(Everything I touch…) Roka stood up, shaking his head a little as he did so.

" Hello?" said Roka, looking around for a sign of life. In response to his question, a mournful wind howled, pushing the fog aside to reveal a grave. Roka gasped and walked slowly to the grave sight and rubbed the dirt off of the cold stone slab. A hot tear rolled down his face as he read the inscription.

"Here lies Mila Carradine, loving wife and mother. May Rsalis' gentle hand lead you safely home."

He touched the grave with a sigh and longed for his wife with a passion that he had long since forgot.

"I miss her too." Said a soft voice behind him, he stood up and whirled around, facing a mirror version of himself. Gallows smiled a little and walked up to Roka without a hint of animosity. Roka glared at him and then turned his back on his son. Gallows ignored the rude gesture and walked up beside him, looking down at his mother's grave.

" What are you doing here, you incompetent fool? " snarled Roka, trying his best to hide the sadness that darted around in his eyes. Gallows laughed a little and scratched the back of his head.

"Well, I was hoping that I would hear mother's voice today. I guess that she's confused about having TWO incompetent Gallows' running around. Why don't you change into who you really are, that way she can see your face and not my ugly one?"

Roka snickered at his son's comment and rubbed the dirt off of his hands.

"I don't remember how I look. Do you honestly think that I like looking like you? Ha! You are too funny! You are so hideous and stupid, I am surprised that Halle did not kill you out of general principal!"

laughed Roka, turning his head toward Gallows and giving him a cruel smile, his golden eyes flickering with amusement. Gallows smiled a meaningful but slightly sarcastic smile back at the golden eyed demon.

"Yeah, I bet you were a knock out, huh?" inquired Gallows, still smiling a meaningful smile.

" I have no desire to discuss such issues with you, you incompetent dog.." replied Roka, looking away from Gallows with disdain. Gallows sat down in front of his mother's grace and closed his eyes, his lips moving in a silent prayer. Roka looked at his son with a mixture of pity and loathing.

__

Is he mocking me? Why is he here anyway? To spite me? To remind me of why I loathe him so much?

"What are you doing? Praying for intelligence? If so, don't expect to get a response, the Guardian Lords don't care much for losers."

Gallows said nothing but opened his eyes and looked at Roka angrily, causing Roka to flinch a little.

__

I have never seen that look in his eyes before. He almost seems EVIL! Maybe I did a better job than I thought… Maybe I have corrupted his soul beyond repair!

(**Maybe, but is that what you really want?**)

__

But of course! He RUINED my life with his existence, he…

"Do you know how hard it was to lie to my brother?" whispered Gallows, his caustic voice breaking Roka's thoughts and causing him to look at his son with surprise.

"What?" rasped Roka, tugging at his hair with annoyance. Gallows closed his eyes and took a step closer.

"I had to lie to my little brother about you…. And…" he opened his eyes and clenched his fist, his blue eyes glowing with silent fury. "What you did to mother."

"…. How did you..? " stuttered Roka, completely knocked off guard by Gallows' harsh words.

"I saw you that night. I watched as you shoved a pillow over her face and slit her wrist to make it look like suicide. You thought that you had it all planned out, you had even wrote a suicide note mimicking her handwriting. But, there was one detail you forgot… and that was me." Said Gallows, his eyes narrowing into glowing slits. Roka snarled and grabbed Gallows by the hair, Gallows laughed and kicked him in the stomach. Winded, Roka fell backwards and doubled over in pain. Gallows walked over to him and looked down at his panting form. Roka looked up at Gallows, his eyes full of anger and pain.

"Why.. why did you not stop me?" panted Roka, slowly straightening up, his eyes still on his son. Gallows snorted and took a couple of steps back, allowing his "old man" some breathing room.

"How the hell was I supposed to stop you? You were bigger than me at the time if I recall correctly.."

"You KNEW and you just let it slide?! Some son YOU are, you could have screamed for help or tried to fight me off.. But you just stood there and watched me off….." Roka sprang at Gallows with a snarl, Gallows sidestepped his lunged and brought his elbow down on his father's back as hard as he could. Roka's face slammed into the ground and the coppery taste of blood filled his mouth quickly.

"I was not the coward. You were the one that acted out of fear and self pity! Stop blaming me for your shortcomings and act like a damn MAN for once in your life!" spat Gallows, looking at Roka heatedly. Roka lifted his head and spat out a burst of blood and a couple of his teeth.

"I… She was suffering… I…" started Roka, pushing himself to his hands and knees slowly. Gallows grabbed him by his arm and pulled him quickly to his feet. Roka nearly fell again and Gallows steadied him. Roka looked up at his son with confusion and then spitefully pulled away, spitting in Gallows' face as he did so. Gallows laughed and wiped the spit off of his face, and looked at Roka with a mixture of amusement and loathing. Roka straightened his back and glared at Gallows balefully.

"You understand nothing, you fool! She was suffering everyday, she was….."

"Aware that you were cheating on her…" finished Gallows angrily, clenching his fist and glaring at Roka. Roka gasped at Gallows' statement and quickly rose to his feet, shaking with fury and fear. Gallows watched with amusement as his father tried to piece together his stuttered defense.

" I..I NEVER cheated on Mila…She… she meant EVERYTHING to me!"

Gallows closed his eyes tightly, trying his best to push away the rage that he felt.

" Oh really? Then why did Mila find you in bed with Laraina's mother?" asked Gallows quietly, his smooth voice dripping with over two decades of venom. Roka was at a lost for words, he was beaten and he was aware of that . Roka looked at Gallows with an emotionless face and empty eyes, his hand reaching for the dagger that was strapped to his belt. Gallows noticed his movement and grabbed the dagger on HIS belt.

"You really don't want to do that…" snickered Gallows, holding the ceremonial dagger in front of him in a ready stance. Roka mirrored his son's stance and smiled at Gallows caustically.

"You won't win…You.."

"BOSS, SOMEONE IS COMING!" thundered a voice from the sky. Roka smiled as their surroundings slowly faded away. Gallows sheathed his dagger and cursed inwardly, he had been so CLOSE!

(Damn Rlaza! I had completely forgot about him!… Rsalis, I'm sorry that I screwed this one up..)

(**You did not screw anything up. I, myself, did not take Rlaza's presence into account. It is I who should be apologizing, not you.) **

__

Hm. You and Rsalis are SO amusing! Really, the little graveyard scene was SUPERB! I really liked that dark and brooding touch!

(Shit…. The wind bag is back…) Gallows comment was answered with an enraged roar.

__

Shut up, Gallows. You are the cause of all of my problems! You… you and your idiocy KILLED MY WIFE! She's DEAD, she won't be coming back…..

(Amazing, he doesn't even remember what he and I spoke of..) thought Gallows to Rsalis, using the wavelength that was just below Roka's waking perception.

(**His mind AND soul are gone now. It is too late for him… and possibly for you…)**

Gallows sighed, closed his eyes, and rubbed his temples with exasperation.

(If you must kill me to end his tyranny, so be it. I just want to keep Virginia safe.)

(**… Your dedication to Virginia is touching, that is why I am so hesitant to make a rash and final decision. I have an idea, it is a long shot, but it just might work…)**

(I'm all about long shots! What's the plan?)

(**After I tell you this, I want you to enter Virginia's dreams and tell her how you feel and what needs to be done on her behalf.)**

Gallows nodded and listened intently to what Rsalis had to say.


	7. Con Te PartiroTime to say Goodbye

**__**

Chapter 7: Con Te Partiro(Time to say Good-bye)

Virginia slouched sleepily over her horse, her head lulling against its soft mane, she was tired from all the running and all the fighting that she had done. Jet rode up beside her and poked her softly with his gloved hand. She mumbled something unintelligible and opened her eyes half way to glare at Jet.

( Why am I even BOTHERING with her? I was just trying to…Oh, never mind… I'll just LET her fall off the damned horse! ….. What am I saying? I doubt that I could live with myself if I allowed her to get hurt.)

"Leave me ALONE, I'm resting up for Simulacrum!" muttered Virginia, burying her face into her horses snow white mane. Unbeknownst to Jet and Clive, she was smiling into the steeds soft hair.

(We will be able to help Gallows! He doesn't have to fight alone! He…) 

Seconds later she was asleep, her breathing was slow, even , and soothing to Jet and Clive's ears.

"Poor Virginia, it has been a long night for her." Said Clive quietly, looking over at Jet. Jet nodded in agreement and scooted around on his saddle a little bit, his rear end was falling asleep.

"No joke. To hear her tell it, Gallows has a power that none of us knew about…." Jet' s sentence broke off into an uncomfortable silence. The silence lasted for about thirty seconds and then Jet spoke up in an unsure voice.

" I wonder if we are going to have to fight him?"

Clive pushed his glasses up onto his nose and sighed despairingly.

"I hope not. Gallows would be a pretty annoying foe, he is very good with arcana AND summoning. If his power has been augmented at all by Roka, we are going to be in for one hell of a fight…" said Clive darkly, startling Jet a little bit more than he would have like.

"Dumb demon, why did he have to possess such an IDIOT!…. Especially OUR idiot." Snarled Jet, adding the last part with a caustic snicker. Clive took his glasses off and rubbed the lenses with his overcoat.

"Maybe it is because Gallows is the less conspicuous of the four of us. Think about it, if you had to possess someone from our party, who would YOU select?" mused Clive, looking through his lenses with a squint and then putting them back on his face. Jet thought about this question for a second or two, trying to figure out who he would select.

"Well, if I were to possess someone, I would go after Virginia. She IS the leader after all, and that would automatically give me the advantage of leading my proverbial sheep to the slaughter." Mumbled Jet gloomily, closing his eyes to the headache that was trying to pound its way into his skull.

"That would be my choice as well, however, Roka seemed to have this planned out from the word "go". Not only did he know about Gallows' journey, he also knew about Gallows' weakness… whatever that may be…. " said Clive, rubbing the bride of his nose thoughtfully. Jet sighed and looked over at Virginia, his eyes reflecting a strange tenderness that he hid from everyone. 

"I wonder if she will have nightmares." Whispered Jet, partially to himself, partially to Clive. Clive shrugged and patted his horses head kindly.

"I don't know, I hope that she doesn't though. She needs her rest … and her strength."

"…. Yeah…." Said Jet, his eyes watering a little from all the pounding in his skull.

" I wonder what she's seeing right now?" chuckled Clive, leaning back a little to pop his back.

(I am getting old, I am creaking like a rusty hinge..)

Virginia mumbled a string of profanities and both Jet and Clive raised an eyebrow.

"Goodness…" laughed Clive quietly, looking at Jet quizzically. Jet looked at Clive with a confused look on his face and amusement in his eyes.

"Gallows, you dumb ASS, look what you did to my DRESS!" snarled Virginia, looking at the befuddled Baskar. Gallows scratched his head sheepishly and offered her a napkin. She grabbed it from his hand and dabbed at the ketchup that was on the lapel of her dress. 

"I'm sorry, Virginia, I didn't think that it was open… I.." Then, with a smile, he took the lid off of the ketchup bottle and poured it on top of his head. Virginia could not help but laugh at Gallows' attempt to make her not angry with him. She put her hand over her mouth in an attempt to hide her huge smile, but it was to late, Gallows had already seen the smile and started to laugh cheerfully. Soon Virginia joined in and they were both laughing like maniacs. It was about then Clive and Jet came downstairs for breakfast and the shenanigans stopped.

( I never could stay mad at you, Gallows, you were always so warm and fun to be around…) 

The flashback faded slowly and sadly away, leaving Virginia to her apprehensions and loneliness.

( Maybe.. maybe I do….) Her thoughts were interupted by a pleasant tingling at the base of her spine.

__

Child, Rsalis is telling me that Gallows wishes to speak to you. He says that it is urgent and requires your immediate attention. Just so you know, Gallows will be in your subconscious, please keep this in mind while you are talking to him. While it is true that Roka can not pick up on your conversation while Gallows is in your subconscious, he CAN pick up subtle hints and emotions. Please try to keep your feelings down to a minimum. Rsalis and I are linking…..)

(I'm a little scared, Rnaia, I mean, I am a very emotional person! What if I get too excited and ruin their plans?! What if..)

__

What if you stop worrying? Everything will be all right, Virginia, just listen to what he has to say and remember what I told you…

The darkness that surrounded her slowly fell away and revealed a lovely beach with crystal clear water lapping against the golden sand, the high noon sun reflecting on the waters calm surface.

(Where am I? Rnaia, what's going on? Where is this place? Rnaia…?) she was startled away from her thoughts by a warm hand on her shoulder, with a gasp, she whirled around to face the owner of the hand. She had to suppress the urge to cry out with relief, there, in front of her, was Gallows, a kind smile on his face. He scratched the back of his head and laughed a little bit, causing Virginia to get a little irritated.

"You scared me, Gallows, I thought you were a giant sand crab or something…" she sniffed, a fake scowl on her face. Gallows waved his hands in front of him, indicating that he wanted a truce called. She laughed and punched him lightly on the shoulder, causing him to pout a little.

(There's you "truce" Gallows Carradine! Stop sneaking up on me!)

"Sorry, leader, you just looked so distant, I couldn't resist the temptation!" laughed Gallows, putting his hand back on her shoulder. She closed her eyes and put her hand on top of his.

( It all seems so familiar. Has this happened before? Was there a time when we stood just like this..?)

" It's all kind of fuzzy, ain't it?" asked Gallows, squeezing her shoulder gently. She nodded and rubbed his hand, fascinated by the different emotions that surged through her, it felt like little bolts of electricity coursing though her body at ungodly speeds.

"Yeah, really fuzzy." She said, looking down at his hand mournfully. Gallows gently removed her hand from his and took his hand from her shoulder after some hesitation.

"Virginia, there is something very important that we need to talk about." Said Gallows, the smile dropping from his face. Virginia looked at him with concern and reached her hand out to touch his face. He shook his head sadly, took her hand in his, and pushed her hand back down to her side.

"Gallows…?" Murmmured Virginia, wanting so much to touch this realistic illusion.

"I'm sorry, but I can't risk being discovered… If you touch me…. I'll…." Gallows shook his head a little, a look of slight irritation and longing on his face. Virginia nodded at him, indicating that she understood what he was saying. A small smile crossed Gallows' face and he chuckled a little bit.

" You always DID catch on quick.."

Virginia returned the smile, feeling slightly queasy and warm at the same time.

"So, what's the plan Gallows?" asked Virginia, crossing her arms loosely across her chest. Gallows sighed at this question and pushed a strand of wayward hair from his face,

" Roka now has the Zanzir in his possession. You DO know what the Zanzir is don't you?"

Virginia nodded her head dully at his question, she knew all to well what the Zanzir was.

"It's a sword that sucks in energy and gives it to the wielder. Typically it sucks in the strongest life signatures first and then works on the weaker ones. So…. Roka has that powerful artifact does he?" sighed Virginia, closing her eyes and bowing her head with a combination of fear and hatred.

(Everything was FINE before Halle gave Gallows this damn job….)

She opened her eyes when she felt Gallows' hand on her face. She looked up at him, her eyes still burning with animosity toward Halle. Gallows smiled and stroked her face, conveying a thousand thoughts with his touch. Virginia's eyes softened and she smiled a little. Somehow, and she could not explain how, she understood every thought that he was sending. Gallows took his hand from Virginia's face after giving it one last gentle caress. He did not want to, but he knew that he could not let his feelings out in the open.

__

We need not words to express a thousand thoughts, the meaning of all things is buried deep within your heart…. Drifted Rnaia's soft voice in the warm and salty wind. 

"We are going to let Roka draw energy from the sword and take form…" said Gallows after a moment of eerie silence. Virginia's mouth dropped open and she grabbed his hands angrily, startling Gallows a little bit. He hated it when she got this way, namely because it was so hard to read her.

(I can't let her emotions get the better of her! I have to snap her out of this!)

"Virginia…" said Gallows, pulling his hands away from hers slowly, she glared at him and clenched her fist, causing Gallows to feel even more uneasy. She was going to HAVE to get control of herself!

"That's suicide, Gallows, and you KNOW it! Why are you doing this?! There has got to be another way…" her lower lip trembled in desperation and Gallows felt a pang of pity tugging at his heart.

(I want to show you how I feel… but, I can't! I want so much to….)

"If all goes as planned it won't be. If Roka takes form, I should regain control of my body… and then…" Gallows' eyes darkened a little bit and Virginia felt a touch of ice pierce her heart.

"You'll kill him?" asked Virginia hopefully, clapping her hands together cheerfully. Gallows smiled at Virginia's enthusiasm and nodded his head in acknowledgment. 

"If all goes well, yes, he will be killed, along with whatever else he brings with him." Said Gallows, his face falling into a frown. Virginia could no longer hold back the tears that were welling up inside. 

"Gallows, I don't want you to…." She was stopped by Gallows pulling her into a sudden embrace, she went silent and fell into his arms. Gallows kissed the top of her head and she felt a pleasant chill creep up her spine. It made her feel safe, sad, and happy all at the same time.

"You needn't fear what tomorrow brings. In the end, I will be with you no matter what…" whispered Gallows, pulling away a little and kissing her on her cheek. She blushed and hit him on the chest softly.

"You big pervert…." She laughed, smiling sheepishly at him. He smiled back and tugged at her braid.

" You know that you like me that way!" snickered Gallows, handily dodging another playful hit. The smile dropped from Virginia's face and she looked down at the ground, trying her best to distance herself from Gallows. Gallows, understanding her actions, looked at her with a frown on his face.

"Of course, if I fail….. It's all over for me. I lose my existence, my soul, my memories… everything…." 

"Then… the logical thing for you to do is not fail." Said Virginia, holding up her index finger for emphasis.

Gallows laughed at her statement and took her hand into his again. She looked at him and then his hand, noting how real it felt and seemed. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her hand. 

(I wonder of it feels like this in real life? There is so much that we take for granted, and the touch of another human being is one of them. )

"I'll come back to you, I promise, so long as you'll wait for me." Said Gallows a hint of a frown touching his bright face. Virginia blushed and pulled her hand away slowly, looking Gallows in the eyes bravely.

"I'll wait for you, just pick a place and I will be there." 

Gallows' face brightened and he touched her face briefly, relishing the feel of her skin.

" Then, will you meet at Simulacrum? If our plan goes awry, I will need you to fix things." Whispered Gallows, dropping his hand down to his side sadly. Virginia looked at him grievously for a moment and then shook her head with acknowledgment.

"I'll save what I have to tell you for later, after we get through all of this mess. " smiled Gallows, taking a step back and closing his playfully. Virginia watched as Gallows faded away slowly, a smile still on his face. Virginia sighed, a small tear forming in her eye and a deep pain in her heart.

(Everything eventually fades away….)

__

But love never does. He meant what he said, he will return to you one way or another.

(He will never die. I won't let him! Rnaia, tell me what needs to be done, I'll do anything at all!)

__

Be there when he falls. He needs someone to pull him back from the brink of death if something goes wrong, and, that "someone" is you. He needs you the most, you are, after all, his other half.

Virginia snickered and she felt a flurry of confusion come from Rnaia.

(Gallows always hated fate, at first anyway, but then, I think that he actually started to like it a little.)

Rnaia laughed a little, her voice sounding like a sweet bell on a cool morning.

__

Gallows will like his fate if he survives this.

Virginia blinked with confusion and watched as the beautiful dreamscape faded to black.

(What do you mean?)

__

You shall see. replied Rnaia with another warm laugh.

"Hey!" Virginia said out loud, looking around with irritation. 

"Are you implying what I _think_ you are? Hey…I… " Virginia threw her hands up in exasperation and felt her body tingle a little as she fell back into consciousness.

Jet blinked when he saw Virginia's body twitch a little, concerned, he rode up beside her and put his hand lightly on her shoulder and shook her a little.

"Hey, wake up, you're starting to scare us!" exclaimed Jet, shaking her a little harder when he did not get a response. Virginia grumbled and suddenly bit his hand lightly. Jet gasped and pulled his hand away, glaring at Virginia as he did so. Clive's laughter pealed out into the twilight sky and he all of the sudden had a good feeling about everything. 

" And just what the hell was THAT for?" snarled Jet, shaking his bit hand. Virginia smiled and closed her eyes, a strand of wayward hair falling into her face.

"Because, you woke me up and that offense calls for a good bite!" laughed Virginia, her smiled widening by the minute. Jet snorted and gave her one last glare and then looked straight ahead to the rising sun.

"Whatever…" he said grumpily, kicking his heels softly against his horses flanks and riding off a good distance in front of the other two drifters. Virginia's smile faded and she looked at Clive, Clive looked at her with confusion and concern.

"What is wrong Virginia? You can tell me, I won't tell Jet if it is something bad."

"No, it's nothing about him. I had a dream…at least I think it was a dream…about Gallows. He told me his plan and what we would have to do if his plan fails…" whispered Virginia, looking down a little, trying her best to sum up what she was told in a very calm fashion. Clive listened intently, shaking his head every once in awhile to show that she had his undivided attention.

"So…" mused Clive, scratching his chin thoughtfully, "Gallows really DID accept a suicide mission.."

Virginia looked at Clive with a mixture of aggravation and hope.

"Gallows will NOT die! He said that…." Her voice dropped to the point where it was almost inaudible.

"…. He would come back to me….."

Clive smiled and gave her an encouraging look.

"If Gallows says that he will return to you, then he will return to you. I am sorry that I sounded so cynical.

Virginia smiled a little and patted her horse on the side of its head, causing it to neigh with content.

"It's all right. At first, that's how I thought as well….. But then…. I changed my mind." Said Virginia, blushing as she stated the last part. Clive raised his eyebrow with a mixture of amusement and confusion.

"Is that so?" inquired Clive, chucking a little at Virginia's expression. Virginia's blush was replaced by a false pale fury. Clive shrank back playfully and looked at his leader.

"What does THAT supposed to mean, Clive Winslett?" huffed Virginia, trying to hide her amusement and embarrassment. Clive shook his head and spurred his horse on, leaving Virginia at a lost for words and rather irritated. Virginia let out a tiny (but rather cute) snarl, and caught up with her comrades.

In the distance, the sound of thunder broke the silence and a flock of birds flew toward Simulacrum, almost as if they were being called by a mysterious force. 

A/N: Well, here's Chapter 7 as promised! I know, I know, it's kind of romantic, but I figured that we needed a little bit of a break to collect ourselves. Have no fear though! There will plenty of action in the following Chapters! Prepare for Chapter 8: Simulacrum Beckons! *****insert dramatic music*


	8. Chapter 8: Floor 1

**__**

Chapter 8: Simulacrum Beckons

Part 1: Sanity's Bane (Floor 1)

The thunder that shook the heavens brought Gallows out of his pleasant stupor and he looked around, noting that he was once again a prisoner of his own body. The Zanzir, which was secured to his back by a crude leather strap, banged against his back monotonously as he walked quickly toward Simulacrum. With a sigh, he sat down on the floor of his subconscious and watched as Roka's thoughts blazed colorfully in front of him. Fascinated, he watched the reds and yellows fuse together and then fade away slowly. 

(I wonder if that's how MY thoughts look? Hm. I wonder if there's a little Gallows running around in MY head? If there is, I feel sorry for him, the poor little bastard)

" We are here." Said Roka, his voice cutting though Gallows' thoughts like am icy knife. Gallows cringed as he watched a streak of lighting illuminate the dark ruins.

(Wow, talk about dramatic! I wonder if the Guardians planned that?)

__

I will now let you have control of your body. Don't try to run away, if you do, the results would be most unpleasant… Gallows nodded at this statement, knowing full well that, although Roka could not kill him, he could make Gallows wish that he were dead.

(Why are you doing that? I thought that..?)

__

Shut up and stop complaining! I have my reasons and it would do you good to drop the matter… Gallows concurred silently and felt as a heaviness weighed down upon his being. Almost immediately he fell down to his hands and knees, cursing a little as he did so.

"Damn gravity! Why didn't you tell me about that!?" snarled Gallows, slowly standing up, his spirit getting used to having a form. Roka snickered at Gallows' incompetence and began to shrink slowly from the material realm and into the astral realm. Gallows blinked at his father's sudden retreat and narrowed his eyes, looking cautiously toward the gates.

" Man, this place is creepy…" muttered Gallows quietly, fighting the chill that crept up his spine.

__

Stop being a wuss. They call this place the "City of Phantoms" for a reason….

( Yeah, but does it have to LOOK like the "City of Phantoms"? I mean, SHEESH!)

__

You know, you seem a lot more intelligent when you don't speak…

If Roka had a form, Gallows would have shot him a dirty look and then would have shot him with his gun.

(Why DID he let me keep my gun?)

__

Stop asking inane questions and start WALKING! We do not have all day!

Gallows sighed and slowly put one heavy foot in front of the other, watching in a strange, detached, way as "The City of Phantoms" slunk ever closer. As he walked through the gates, a cold wind rippled around him and then died, leaving him somewhat breathless. He stopped and looked behind him nervously, reassuring himself that there was no one behind him in this guardian forsaken town.

(That was weird..)

Having reassured himself that he was quite alone, he started to walk again, taking note of the hideous remains of the dead town. Here, on his right, was an ugly yellow building, its two windows gaping at him like an eye less corpse. On his left was…. He stopped dead and gaped at the building to his left. It was a good eight stories high and was painted blood red. Something, and he did not know what, was compelling him forward into the buildings gaping mouth.

(It wants me. It wants me to come in so it can eat me .. eat me … ) 

__

Snap out of it! What's wrong with you?! Can you not see that it's just a…..

"All the same….." Gallows mouthed, as he walked into the building slowly, his eyes empty and wide. Roka started and tried to snap Gallows out of his trance with a number of profanities and insults, unfortunately, his efforts were in vain and the two of them walked into the building, unmindful of the decaying man that stared angrily out of the socket of the adjacent building. Gallows was snapped back into a proper state of mind by a blast of cold air to his face. Blinking, he looked around cautiously, trying to let his eyes adapt to the darkness that surrounded him. That was when Gallows noticed that the walls were covered with soot… and some other substance that he could not quite put his finger on.

__

….. There is writing on the wall…..

"Hm?" said Gallows, feeling Roka tug his head toward the far northern wall. Gallows, squinting his eyes to get a better look, proceeded over to the said stone slab with the utmost caution.

The closer he got, the more jittery that he felt. Why would someone write on the walls? Was this a sign?

" Ansis Weis, Wanis unie…" muttered Gallows, tracing the scratchy writing carefully with his finger.

( Sanity Bane, Floor One? What kind of building IS this?)

__

So this is Sanity Bane… Interesting….

Gallows' eyes slit with irritation and he scratched his shoulder absently.

(Would you care to explain things to this idiotic man? I'm kind of lost.) Gallows smiled when he felt a wave of frustration roll through him. Roka might have been a demon, but he still had human emotions.

__

You are indeed a stupid man. However, I will tell you a little more about this building… and about Simulacrum. It is in your best interest to understand EVERYTHNG that I tell you, so listen well!

(I'm listening, talk whenever you are ready.) Thought Gallows, leaning against the engraved wall with a very serious expression on his face. Roka sighed and slipped deep into thought.

__

There was a time when Simulacrum was not called Simulacrum. It was once called Gaudium, the city of Joy. It was rather prosperous back in its prime and the residents that presided there were quite arrogant and happy to be that way. Each day was spent either counting their Gella or lavishing in their simple pleasures. However, fate assigned this "paradise" a very cruel disposition. 

"The city burned….. Wiping out all of the people that lived here…" finished Gallows, his eyes closing with pity and anger. He was not sure HOW he knew that bit of information, but it was there, glaring in the recesses of distant memory. Roka flinched a little and then inwardly smiled, his son was not as stupid as he once thought. Gallows straightened up with a grunt and walked toward the exit, a grim frown on his face.

__

Where are you going? We NEED to be here! Stop, or I'll put you in so much pain that you'll…..

(Wasn't it you that tried to stop me from entering into this building in the first place? Roka, make up your damn mind! Do you want me to stay or go? If I stay, you better tell me more about this building, otherwise, I may decide to impale myself with this sword and be done with it…) Thought Gallows, patting the Zanzir with false affection. A feeling of a thousand knives tearing through his stomach made him drop to his knees in pain. A film of tears glazed his eyes and he suddenly felt rather nauseous.

__

Stop being a fool! You would not kill yourself so readily, you have someone that you "love"! snapped Roka, putting a sarcastic accentuation on the word "love". Gallows huffed angrily and slowly rose to his feet, rubbing his stomach a little as he did so.

(You got it all figured out, don't you Roka? Perhaps you're right, perhaps I wouldn't kill myself. But.. if you try to use me as an instrument against my friends, I swear I will run this sword through me before you can stop me! That would just ruin your perfect plan, now wouldn't it?)

A feeling of pain welled up within him, but then, seemingly as an afterthought, died down immediately.

__

Fine, I will tell you what I know. This building that we are standing in is directly linked to the astral plane. Think of it as a portal if you will. Spirits can roam through this building with no problems. The same holds true to this whole town. However, because this building IS a portal the spirits are the strongest here, that is why you were drawn to this building right away…

(Incidentally, did you feel as if we were being watched as we entered the building?)

__

Yeah, I did not care much for that feeling at all…

Gallows slowly did an about face and proceeded back toward the wall with the writings on it. He came to a sudden stop when he saw a smoky white form tracing the inscriptions.

Gallows swallowed hard and was about to say something when the figure slowly turned to face him. He felt Roka's heartbeat speed up and he started to feel nauseous. The figure that was staring back at them was Gallows' mother and Roka's wife, Mila Carradine. Mila smiled and tilted her head to the right, her silky brown hair cascading down her shoulder like a magnificent waterfall. Gallows took in several deep breaths and slowly walked toward her. Mila extended her arms and looked at her son longingly, her eyes glimmering with hopeful tears and pain. 

"Mo… Mother….!' Whispered Gallows, a warm smile spreading across his face, Mila straightened her head and nodded. Gallows was about to rush into his Mila's arms when Roka's startled voice stopped him.

__

Look at her arms! Gallows STOP, she's going to hurt us! Her sprit is that of vengeance, not love!

Gallows looked at Mila's arms and gasped, deep slashes running along the veins of her wrist leaked bright red blood and yellowish pus in great quantities.

"Ugh…" said Gallows, stumbling back a little, still looking at his dead mother.

__

She wants vengeance… 

The young Baskar's grimace lifted into a sneer and he unsheathed the Zanzir and held it in front of him, surprising both Roka AND himself. Mila looked at her son with both pity and anger, the sword reflecting in her deep blue eyes.

"Son, I am your mother, why do you draw a weapon against me?" asked Mila calmly, looking at her son intently, Gallows sighed and closed his eyes, lowering the sword down to his side.

"Because, you're not my mother, my mother was killed by my father…." Whispered Gallows regretfully.

Mila's deranged laugh made him open his eyes with surprise and look at her.

"So you would repeat the sins of your father?! I was expecting my son to be a little more honorable than that! Hmph, I guess Halle didn't raise you right, you dirty little bastard!" scoffed Mila, putting her hand over her stomach. Gallows looked at his mother, his hand loosening around the pommel of the sword, Mila's words had stung him deeply.

"I… I'm not him…. I…." He nearly dropped the Zanzir, but then reminded himself that it was important, and tightened his grip once again. Mila laughed and then took her hand away from her stomach, causing Gallows to look down at her midsection with curiosity. There, etched into her now bulging stomach, was an imprint of a human head, its features set into a perpetual scream of agony. Gallows blinked and raised the sword in a defensive position. Mila cocked her head and laughed bitingly, causing Gallows' blood to drop to below zero.

Mila's caustic laugh was cut off by a scream of agony. Gallows looked at her questioningly, the Zanzir still raised in a ready position. As Mila feel to her knees, grasping her burgeoning stomach, she looked at Gallows pleadingly and mouthed the words. " Please end my agony…"

Gallows, snapping out of his fearful daze, raised the Zanzir above his head and was about to behead his mother when all of the sudden her stomach exploded, sending her innards flying in all directions. Gallows stumbled back as a chunk of his mother's kidney splattered wetly against his face. 

"Gaghhhhh!" cried Gallows, pulling the piece of kidney from his face with disgust and horror.

" _Free….._" whispered a voice at his feet, startled, Gallows looked down, not knowing what to expect.

__

….. Fuck…. 

With just one word, Roka had described the situation in its entirety. From what used to be Mila's stomach sprouted a pair of bony arms attached to an emaciated but somewhat muscular bust. Gallows looked at it at a lost for words, the Zanzir still gripped tightly in his hand. The head, which had first made its appearance in Mila's stomach opened its black, malicious eyes and stared at them balefully, causing both Gallows AND Roka to feel uneasy. Mila's lower body twitched and then started to move toward her upper half AND the upper torso of WHATEVER that was on the floor in front of him.

( I have to do SOMETHING, I can't let that thing fuse with mother… I…) A vice-like hand on his ankle snapped him cruelly out of his thoughts and back into reality. Looking up at him, with a smile on its face, was the mysterious THING that had erupted from the depths of his mother's stomach.

"_To late…._" Rasped the thing, letting go of Gallows' ankle and standing up slowly. What stood in front of him was one of the most atrocious sights that he had ever seen. Mila stood in front of him, her eyes closed and her mouth opened in a silent and frozen scream. Her midsection was replaced by the torso of the man and was attached to quaking legs. The thing from her torso waved its arms impatiently and then signaled for Gallows to come closer. Gallows, would not, or more accurately, COULD NOT move from the spot.

__

FOOL! It is unstable! Kill it before it starts to gain more power!

With those words, Gallows' instinct took over and he leapt forward, swinging the Zanzir in a gleaming downward arc as he did so. The creature looked rather unimpressed by Gallows' valiant actions and caught the sword right as it was about to cleave off Mila's head. Gallows pulled the sword from its grip and looked at it, his breath coming in short painful gasp.

"What?!" growled Gallows, stumbling back and sticking the tip of the sword in the ground to steady himself. The creature laughed and all four arms reached out for Gallows and the Zanzir.

"No!" growled Gallows, swinging the sword as hard as he could in a gleam of hellish red light. The creatures eyes widened as a red streak sliced through its arm and half way through its foot. 

"Wha-- My son.. You….?" Spat the creature, its arm starting to seep blood in a perfect ring.

Gallows hopped back and readied the Zanzir again.

" I am NOT your son! Don't call me that again!" snarled Gallows, watching as the creature held its now bloody arm. The creature was about to respond to Gallows' heated response when its arm slid from its body with a wet sound and dropped heavily to the floor. The creature screamed and held the gaping hole where its arm used to be! Gallows expelled a short chopped laugh and dropped the sword to his side briefly.

"No worries! You still have THREE arms to work with!"

The creature twitched violently, causing Gallows to raise the sword once again. 

_Way to go, you REALLY pissed it off now. Well, at least you took care of one of those.. Oh.._

The stream of blood that was flowing from the creatures arm slowly transformed into a serpentine form and lifted itself from the ground. Gallows blinked and held the sword over one shoulder.

(This is going to be fun.)

The serpentine form struck out at Gallows, Gallows dodged and swung the sword down, severing the blood snake in half. With a screech, the creature lunged it Gallows with its remaining three arms outstretched to grasp his throat. Gallows snickered and swung the sword in an arc to the right and the gracefully reversed the move and swung back to the left, severing the other three appendages, causing them to fall to the floor just like the fated one before them. Gallows put the sword back in the sling and pulled out the Moor Gault medium, letting rest in one of his hands. The medium glowed and the started to sprout flames from its stone surface. Gallows smiled and then closed his hand protectively over the medium, watching as the flames leaped from between his closed hand.

"Cremate!' Gallows screamed, focusing on the open wounds of the creature.

__

Cauterization? Amazing, how did YOU, of all people, think of that?

Miniature sparks exploded all over its body, but most of it was focused around the appendages. The creature screamed and fell down to the ground, writhing like a worm toward Gallows. Gallows raised and eyebrow and kicked the creature in the face with a certain degree of regret.

(I know that it was not my mother.. but still….)

The creature screamed and bit at his foot, Gallows lifted his foot and brought it down hard on top of its head, stomping through it, causing its brains to adhere to his foot. Gallows crinkled his nose and shook the brain nonchalantly from his foot. Roka smiled a little bit, Gallows seemed a bit desensitized.

Gallows smiled a little and once again called upon the guardian of fire to cauterize one final time.

"You are nothing but a mask… rest in peace…." Sighed Gallows silently.

A brief flash from the wall caused Gallows to look up with confusion.

__

I believe that there is something else written on the wall.

"Hmm?" said Gallows, walking over to the wall cautiously, stepping over the innate body of the creature as he did so. He squinted his eyes to read the engraved writing.

" Fasi mais, sa mas itan?" read Gallows slowly, focusing on every word.

__

"Fated son, we meet again." It is almost as if Simulacrum PLANNED this…

Gallows snorted and looked toward the adjacent hallway cautiously.

" I think that something wants us to that way…" said Gallows, pointing toward the said hallway.

__

… Let's go…. I want to get what I came for and then get the hell out of here.

"I agree with you, let's go down that hallway and face what ever comes our way." Laughed Gallows, all of the sudden feeling really giddy. Roka concurred and Gallows walked toward the said corridor, ignoring the ones to his left and right. It didn't take long for them to make it to the end of the corridor and to a set of old wooden stairs that let up into complete darkness. Gallows put his tongue to his cheek, took a deep breath, and proceed up the stairs to whatever awaited them.

A/N: I am so sorry that it took so long for me to update. I've been really busy and haven't been able to do a lot of writing. I think I should explain about Chapter 8. Chapter 8 is going to be in 8 sections corresponding to each floor of Sanity's Bane. I hope that you will forgive me for my insolence, I will try to write more. ** ***Bows* Thank you for your patience. *Hugs everyone*


	9. Chapter 8 Floor 2: Luxuria

**__**

Chapter 8: Floor Two

The Hallway of Luxuria 

Gallows took a breath of dank air and stumbled up the last two stairs, cursing silently as he did so.

(Why does it have to be so DARK in these type of places? Do ghost just not like light or something..?)

Gallows' thoughts were interrupted by Roka's impatient cough followed by a stinging pain in his ear.

__

I swear, you have got to be the most…. 

"Hush for a minute." Whispered Gallows, stopping in mid-stride and listening intently for anything out of the ordinary. Roka snorted and took control of Gallows' hand to scratch his head. That was when Gallows realized that it was rather hot! For some reason, that struck him as odd.

(What's with the heat all of the sudden? I know that heat rises, but still, it shouldn't have gotten so hot in such a short amount of time. If anything, I would think it would be cooler, seeing that there is no light to produce heat… Roka, I have a feeling something is wrong and I….)

With a flash of insight, Gallows extended his arms to either side of him and started when his hand touched something soft and silky in mid-extension Slowly, he dropped his left hand to his side and brought his right hand up to grasp the pommel of the Zanzir. A wave of claustrophobia overtook him and he gripped the handle tightly, causing his knuckles to turn white.

"The hallway offers no tactical advantage to us. The walls, at best, are around 3 feet apart…" rasped Gallows, his voice ringing emptily in the darkness. Roka seemed to be thinking and Gallows found it best to leave him alone. With a sigh, he established a link with Rsalis and started to send an image of their situation. Rsalis silently acknowledged these tidbits of information and talked to Gallows in a whisper.

****

(It is quite true that our situation seems somewhat dire.. however, rest assured that there is no trap to hinder your progress. By the way, Roka seems to be a bit distant… I wonder why?)

Gallows grunted at this question and shifted his shoulders under the Zanzir's weight.

( I neither know, nor care… Why is this thing getting so damn HEAVY!?)

****

(It is because it has devoured a soul, therefore it weighs heavily upon you. It is the Zanzir's way of reminding you of your sin. The sin of slaying another being… )

(It's not like I had a CHOICE in the matter….)

****

(Well, at any rate, you need to come up with a strategy. Starting a fire in this hallway is a bad idea, we don't know if the material that is lining the wall is flammable or not.)

(… I was hoping that maybe YOU could help me out a little….)

****

(Gallows, I am not your keeper, come up with your own ideas….)

(Thanks….)

With that, Rsalis fell silent and Gallows could still feel Roka thinking. Grumbling his annoyance, Gallows reached out with his left hand and gingerly ran it across the material covering the walls.

"Satin…" mumbled Gallows, dropping his hand to his side once again. Things were getting odder by the moment and Gallows didn't know WHAT to think or do about any of it.

"Hey, the walls are made of satin! Do you think that this is the hallway of kinky?" snickered Gallows mischievously, forgetting for the moment that he was in the City of Phantoms. Roka cut himself away from his thoughts and scolded Gallows with a brief pain in the back of his head. Gallows' face fell into a frown as he closed his eyes and focused the pain away.

(Damn, I thought that my father would have a sense of humor or something…)

__

You thought wrong. Ready the Zanzir and start walking, we don't have all day…

Gallows rolled his eyes, unsheathed the Zanzir and started to walk slowly down the corridor.

(I can not swing the sword in a horizontal motion, if I did, the rebound would throw me off balance and whatever I was fighting would hold the advantage. However, if I were to swing in only a….)

The sound of females laughing snapped him out of his thoughts and he held the Zanzir in front of him, shifting his eyes back and forth cautiously. He didn't like the looks of this, namely because the temperature in the hallway dropped about twenty degrees.

(The spirits are awake.. This ought to be fun….)

A wave of disembodied voices flowed through the corridor and surrounded Gallows, enveloping him in their cryptic gibberish. He pulled the pommel of the Zanzir to his chest and let the flat of the blade rest against his forehead.

(I need to remain calm, I will not let fear get the better of me, I will not let fear get the…)

His thoughts were interupted by a cold hand on his shoulder. Gallows jumped, stifled the urge to cry out, and spun around as quickly as his leaden feet would allow.

He soon was looking into a woman's peaceful gray eyes. With a sigh, he lowered the sword down in front of him and looked at her with irritation.

"Didn't your mother ever teach that it's not nice to sneak up on people and scare the.. " The rest of his sentence was cut off by the woman's finger to his lips.

"Secret…:" whispered the woman, removing her finger from his lips and pointing to his right. Gallows followed her finger, noticing for the first time that this woman was producing her own light.

"Secret?" muttered Gallows, sheathing the Zanzir, looking behind him as he did so to ensure that the lady and himself were the only ones in the corridor. The lady nodded and walked to the right side of the corridor, pressing her hand against the satin walls.

"Secret…" she snickered, patting the wall lovingly. Gallows blinked and reached out to touch the wall, his hand shaking a little as he did so. All of the sudden a feeling of alarm, emanating from Roka, surged through him and Gallows pulled his hand back just as a clawed human hand tore through the wall and grasped at his hand. With a snarl, Gallows pulled out the dagger from his belt and slashed at the hand. The beautiful specter cried out her discontent and stood in front of the claw, causing Gallows to stop in mid slash and look at her with confusion.

"SECRET!" she growled, balling her right hand into a fist and her left hand into a claw. Gallows sheathed the blade and looked at her with exasperation, trying to figure out what the hell she meant.

"That CLAW is your secret!?" exclaimed Gallows, pointing to the said claw, that was, at the moment, running its sharp fingers through the woman's long hair. The woman nodded and leaned back against the wall, partially sinking into it as she did so. Gallows stepped back a little and looked at the woman nervously. What was the connection between her and the claw?

__

Maionos… The wife of a hundred men….

Maionos had her hand on top of the claws and was tracing little designs on it with her finger, seemingly ignoring Gallows. 

(Wife of a hundred men?)

As soon at that thought crossed his mind, the walls on either side of him started to shift and moan. Gallows' eyes widened and he looked around, reaching for his dagger once again.

" SEEEEECCCRREEEETTT!" screeched Maionos, letting go of the claw and rushing it Gallows with her hands outstretched. Gallows' survival instincts kicked in just about then and he started to run, very aware of the hands that were bursting out of the walls on either side of him.

" Secret, Secret, Secret…" muttered the insane woman, walking after him slowly. Gallows had long legs, which he was grateful for, but what he wasn't grateful for was his huge frame, he was finding it difficult to dodge the groping hands that were trying to pull him into the walls.

(Where is the door? Where is the door? There is light but no…) Gallows thoughts were interupted by a fist to the back of his head. The light blue luminescence in the room started to fade to black and Gallows felt himself sinking down to the ground.

(She's strong.. So strong… One hit…)

When Gallows came to he was lying on his back on a cold wooden floor that smelled of age and fire. Fire? With a moan, Gallows opened his eyes slowly and found himself looking up at a dimly lit ceiling that seemingly shifted every second with shadows.

(Shadow, shadow on the wall, perhaps you're not a shadow at all….) 

Gallows closed his eyes once again and took in a deep breath.

__

We are in the wall…. 

Gallows' eyes snapped open at Roka's cold comment and he sat up into a sitting position, feeling, with a certain degree of relief, the cold metal of the Zanzir bashing him on the back. He slowly stood up, got dizzy, and sat back down with a thud. 

He looked around again, deciding that it would be best if he just remained still and observe his creepy surroundings. The small room that he was in had walls that were covered with black cloth, and the torches, which were giving the room its light, flicked ominously in each corner

(It looks like the walls are alive.. )

__

Perhaps they are.. 

Gallows shivered and attempted to stand again, this time succeeding. 

The first thing that caught Gallows' undivided attention, was the bed that sat against the middle of the far wall. His eyes remained fixated on the bed of bones for the longest time.

"The headboard is made of Kinasi's bones. Did you know that?" came a soft and familiar voice from behind him. Gallows, unsheathing the Zanzir as he did so, turned around and faced Maionos.

"You… you actually SLEEP on that?!" exclaimed Gallows stepping back and putting the Zanzir between Maionos and himself. Maionos, with a cruel smile and partially closed eyes, nodded her affirmation.

"It brings me closer to my husbands…" she giggled, pulling a strand of hair from her head and looking at with fascination.

"So, you're into some strange form of necrophilia..? That's sick, you really should be.." The rest of Gallows' sentence was cut off by a stinging slap across his face. He fell silent, rubbing his aching face with his free hand and tightening his grip on the Zanzir with the other.

"Shut up! What do you know, you disgusting PRIEST!? I loved them and I was a good wife to ALL of them! I just want to be closer to my husbands, is that so wrong?!" she screeched, tears streaming down her pale face soundlessly. Gallows lowered the Zanzir and dropped his free hand down to his side slowly. If there was a way to avoid a battle, he was going to find it.

"I can understand love… I can even understand wanting to be CLOSE to a deceased loved one.. but…" at this point, the young man shook his head slowly from side to side "I can't understand sleeping on a bed composed of all of your husbands bones.."

Maionos sighed with disgust and waved her slender hand at Gallows. Gallows looked at her hand as she did so, noting that her fingernails were bleeding and starting to peel back. He cringed, what was with these specters and having something terribly wrong with them?

"I don't expect you to understand, you have never been with a woman… and with your looks, that does not surprise me. But, I digress, you have no right to tell me what is right and what is wrong when you, yourself, are just as bad as I." She spat slowly and purposely, her voice both soft and sharp.

Gallows blinked, did she HAVE to bring him into all of this?

"I.. I feel bad that I am the way I am… but.. if I survive this, I'm going to change…" stuttered Gallows, straightening his back with pride and looking at Maionos with determination. Maionos laughed and walked past him, brushing his shoulder with her hand as she did so. She walked over to the wall with the bed against it and gave Gallows a wicked smile.

"This is my memoria to my late husbands." She said, ripping the material away from the wall with a hard pull. Gallows watched in silence, not knowing what else to do.

"THERE! " she said proudly, extending her arm to her side, presenting the soot-covered brick wall behind her. Gallows narrowed his eyes and took a couple of steps toward her, readying himself for anything.

"I don't see anything…" said Gallows, looking at the wall intently. Maionos gave him a nasty look and looked quickly toward the wall, her hair gracefully falling her movement.

"… Damn fire… Hrmph!" she turned back toward him, a cold look of fury on her face.

"Wh-What? I didn't do that!" exclaimed Gallows, raising the Zanzir slowly, his eyes locked on hers.

She closed her eyes and raised her arm, palm toward Gallows, and then dropped it quickly. The walls around them started to shake, causing Gallows to ready the Zanzir and loosen his muscles.

"There was a city, a city of dying dreams… " snarled the woman, floating into the air gracefully, looking down at Gallows as she ascended. The shaking stopped and everything was deathly silent.

"A city where shadows were once welcomed by the light… and…." A ripping sound from his left caused Gallows to look in that direction, leaving himself open to an attack from Maionos.

With a screech, she descended like a raven and clawed a chunk from his face. Gallows cringed and slashed at her as she ascended back toward the ceiling, nicking her foot.

"Gaghhhhh!" she screamed, holding her hand up once more. The room around him started to distort and shift, causing Gallows to lose his balance and fall to one knee.

" Behold the power of Fatalis Mōrēs!" she exclaimed fervently as she dropped her hand back down to her side. Above the bed, a huge skeletal fist burst through the wall, opened, and wrapped itself around Maionos protectively. Gallows stood up shakily, and held the sword with both hands, he was going to need all the strength that he could get. An aura of darkness formed around the hand and Maionos, causing Gallows to stumble back cautiously and steady himself for an attack.

The hand opened and five bolts of black lightning shot out of each finger of the skeleton's hand.

"DAMN!" growled Gallows, barely dodging a bolt that would have took off his head. Maionos laughed as the hand closed around her again. 

(This has got to STOP!)

Gallows felt a strange energy well up within him, and for some reason, he did not feel the need to fight it.

A soft blue light surrounded him and the sword and then vanished, confusing him to a certain degree.

(What did that do?)

**__**

(Swing the sword in a cross and then in an "x" make sure to make it fluid, or else…)

"Die!' shouted Maionos as a ephemeral blaze flared around her and her skeletal companion.

Gallows swallowed hard and held the sword out in front of him.

"Why are we fighting, why do we have to.." the rest of his sentence was cut off by the scream of a fire ball being shot at him. Gallows dodged, narrowing his eyes as he straightened up.

" I have no desire to explain myself to someone like YOU! You would not understand the deep logic of my thoughts, you would not understand that…"

" You're completely insane? Actually, I understand that quite well…" snickered Gallows, holding the sword in front of him once again.

" FOOL! Prepare yourself for the end!" she shouted, as she materialized in front of the bone like cage with her hand held toward the ceiling. The floor rumbled and then gave birth to rotted hands and arms.

"Hm. Oh no you don't!" snarled Gallows, kicking a rotting hand from its wrist and across the room.

" You kicked Mal.." started Maionos, she stopped when she saw Gallows' eyes turn to ice and his smile burn with hatred.

"I no longer give a damn. This ends now." Said Gallows coldly, swinging the sword from left to right menacingly. Maionos looked at him and seeped back into the safety of her guard.

"That will not save you.." snickered Gallows, swing the sword up and down and then left to right in a graceful star like strike. The blue light that had surrounded him earlier, came back and then formed itself into the shape of the slash. Maionos screamed and started to chant in a language Gallows did not understand. 

"Die.." Gallows said simply, sheathing the Zanzir and waving his right hand in a dismissive motion. The slash traveled toward Maionos quicker than the human eye could perceive. The only thing that Gallows saw was the result of the slash. The wall exploded, sending both Maionos AND the hand to the great outdoors. Gallows sighed and patted the Zanzir, looking for a way out as he did so.

__

There's an exit behind the western wall, you are going to have to pull the fabric off to access it..

Gallows nodded and walked toward the said wall, clenching and unclenching his fist as he did so.

The fabric ripped away easily and Gallows quickly found the exit, but, not before he read these words etched on the wall with blood.

__

Luxuria

There was a friendly, but naive King

who wed a very nasty Queen.

The King was loved, but

the Queen was feared.

Till one day strolling in his court,

an arrow pierced the kind King's heart.

He lost his life and

his lady love.

Gallows swallowed a lump in his throat as he walked through the exit and back into the dank hallway. That was one bedroom that he did NOT ever want to be in again.

A/N: Ahh, I love to torture this poor guy! Well then, that's floor two! I don't think you all want to hear my original concept, it's kind of… well.. FREAKY! Well, I'm going to start on Chapter 8.3 soon! I hope that you enjoy this new installment! Luxuria means Luxury or Lust. 


	10. Chapter 8 Floor 3: Superbia

**__**

Chapter 8 

Floor 3: Superbia

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"Did I make a mistake when I gave birth to pride? Pride, the destroyer of humility. It is true, that when I created sentient beings, I desired to give them free will… But, I could not foresee pride being so cataclysmic to human nature. " Furca Erīcē

Gallows was relieved when he finally reached the stairwell leading up to the next floor. The cold chill that had pervaded the hall was all but gone now, and for some reason, Gallows took comfort in that.

" I am NEVER going to womanize again.. EVER! " muttered Gallows as he place his foot on the first step. The only response he got from Roka was a cynical grunt and a feeling of disbelief.

"I'm serious! I never knew that there were such SICK people in the world…"

__

And now you know, and knowing is half the battle. 

"Witty, Roka, very witty…" murmured Gallows, looking up into the gaping darkness above him.

__

I hear something… Shut up for a moment and listen…

Gallows fell silent, quietly scolding Roka as he did so, true, he was being annoying, but that, in his opinion, was beside the point. From up above him came heavy foot steps and a masculine voice whispering incoherently. Gallows raised an eyebrow, placed his hand on the left hand wall, and started up the stairs, feeling colder as he got closer to the top. When he was half way to the top the whispering erupted into an angry bellow.

"KRYA! Krya, come out this INSANT!" bellowed the insanity coated voice. Gallows blood froze as he heard the heavy footsteps come closer to the stairwell.

"Save me…" whispered a small voice from behind him, with a gasp, Gallows turned around and saw nothing. Breathing hard, he slowly turned back toward the hall way that was slightly above him. The footsteps had ceased and somewhere a door slammed.

"What in the.." started Gallows, looking back down the stairs and then back up to the hall way.

A tug at the back side of his duster made him whirl around once again, this time he found himself looking down at a brown-tress young lady, her soft blue eyes were looking up at him benevolently.

"Sir…" she whispered quietly, bowing a little as she did so. With a slight smile. Gallows knelt down in front of her and pushed a lock of hair from her moon shaped face.

"Yes?" asked Gallows, resting one hand on his knee and the other on her delicate shoulder.

"My daddy is looking for me… but I don't want him to find me.." she sniffled, tears forming in the corners of her sparkly blue eyes. Gallows' smile faded, if he helped this little girl, what kind of repercussions would arise? Why was her father looking for her so intently in the first place?

( But still, even if these questions remain unanswered, I STILL can't leave her here alone…)

__

Damn it you FOOL, she is one of THEM! Don't you see that?!

Gallows did not respond to Roka's fervid question, instead, he nodded and offered his hand to the little girl. The little lady looked down at the Baskar's hand tentatively for a moment, and then, with a sweet smile, accepted it and nodded cheerfully. Gallows stood up, his hand still enveloping hers as he did so. The smile faded from her lips and Gallows tipped his head to one side.

"What's wrong?" he asked, giving her a fake pout and sorrowful eyes.

"Can I have a piggy back ride?" asked the little one. Gallows' pout broke out into a smile of merriment

"Sure!" he laughed, bending down so that the little girl could crawl onto his back. 

"My name is Krya Solanza…" she said, crawling carefully onto his back and wrapping her arms firmly around his neck. Gallows wrapped his arms securely around the little girl's legs and stood up slowly.

"That's a pretty name. My name is…" started Gallows, about to give Krya HIS name when she stopped him with a chuckle and small tug at his neck.

"Gallows Carradine, the demi-human.." she said , loosening her grip after a small hug. Gallows started to continue up the stairs, shocked into silence by the little girl's knowledge of him. As they reached the top of the stairwell the little girl started to tremble and Gallows stopped right as he reached the top. 

"What is it?" asked Gallows, shifting uncomfortably and looking back at her the best that he could.

"Daddy is waiting for me in the first room to the right… but.. he wants to… " Krya sobbed and buried her face into his back, causing Gallows to feel a wave of pity and a slight feeling of fear.

"Wants to what?" asked Gallows, tightening his grip on the frightened girls legs a little to show that he was there for her. The little girl whispered something that was inaudible into his back, her warm breath tickling his spine. He shuddered and was about to tell her to repeat herself when the door to his right started to open slowly and the hallway filled with a dim blue light. Thinking quickly, he slunk into the shadows of the stairs and observed as a man in a white vest and black pants stepped into the sliver of light emanating from the room. He was rather distinguished and ruggedly handsome, his aging face was twisted into a gargoyle like expression and his dark blue eyes were in angry slits as he scanned the hallway.

"Krya, where are you? Don't make me come after you!" he shouted, walking the opposite direction of the stairs, much to Gallows' and Krya's relief. Krya tightened her arms around Gallows' neck and lifted her head from his back, leaving a small smear of tears on his back as she did so. Gallows patted her leg comfortingly.

"I won't let him hurt you., Kassi… I mean.. Krya.." whispered Gallows, his lips moving against the oppressive silence of the hallway.

Krya gave him a small hug and kissed the top of his head.

"You're a big ole' bear!" she laughed quietly, tugging at lock of his hair. Gallows looked back, smiled at the little girl, and then directed his attention back to the hallway, his warm smile dropping into a frown of concentration.

"He's coming back this way…" whispered Gallows, descending a couple of steps as quietly as he could. Krya cried a little and buried her face back into his spine, her tears tearing a warm path down his back. 

Her father stomped back toward his room… but.. he was carrying something. Gallows squinted a little to see if he could get a better look at the object in his hand.

"Daddy's mad… It's because I gave that stranger money.." she whimpered, lifting her head a little to look cautiously over Gallows' shoulder. Gallows nodded at the Krya's statement and turned around so Krya's and his back was against the left hand wall.

(What kind of bastard would want to hurt his daughter because of an act of kindness on her behalf?) 

__

A bastard that is filled with pride… Gallows, have you any idea who this man is?

Gallows shook his head no, still trying to make out the dark object in the mans hand.

"Krya! I know you're here! I can hear you breathing!" shouted Krya's enraged father, causing Gallows' shoulder's to stiffen with anxiety.

(Who IS he, Roka? Why is he after Krya!?)

__

His name is Sairon, in life, he was quite rich and powerful. But… then…..

A scream rang out in Gallows' skull and then a visage of blood coating the walls of an elegant room burned itself into his eyes, causing Gallows' eyes to widen with terror.

__

He killed his daughter in a fit of rage, legend has it that she had given five Gella to a Drifter that was passing through…. He was a railroad tycoon and he took great pride in his position in society….

"KRYA! I found you!" screeched Sairon, snapping Gallows out of his conversation with Roka. Krya screeched and tightened her grip on Gallows' neck, cutting of the blood flow to his brain, causing him to feel dizzy. Gallows watched as Sairon charged toward them, the object in his hand held above his head .

(That's….that's a god damn RAILROAD SPIKE!)

"Krya… I'm going to put you down, stay as far away from him and me as you can….Okay?" said Gallows, kneeling so the little girl could get down. Krya nodded and did as she was told, looking at her father as she did so. Gallows turned his attention back to Sairon and pulled out the Zanzir, holding it behind his head so that he could easily switch from offensive to defensive if need be. Sairon snarled, his eyes glowing red and then fading back to blue. Gallows tightened his grip on the pommel and gave Sairon a grim smile.

"How DARE you interfere! Do you have any idea what you're getting yourself into?" snarled Sairon, slipping the railroad spike into a slot on his belt and reaching behind him, his eyes still locked on Gallows'. Gallows swallowed hard, the harsh smile being replaced by a brutal sneer.

" I'm saving a little girl from her heartless bastard of a father… Stay away from her.. or…" Gallows brought the sword in front of him in a graceful motion, causing Sairon to look at him with surprise and a touch of apprehension.

"Die…" finished Gallows, narrowing his eyes at the man with the railroad spike. Sairon's hand, which was still hidden behind his back, came back above his head wielding a mallet.

Gallows blinked and put one foot behind him to brace himself.

"You have some guts, I will give you that…" He swung the mallet in front of him and smiled sadistically.

"However…" he continued, glaring at the little girl behind Gallows, "Bravery will not prevent your brains from dripping out of your ears when I bash your skull IN!" he said, lifting the mallet above his head.

"Gallows…I'm scared…" whimpered Krya from behind him. Gallows did not look back, but when he spoke his words were warm and full of comfort.

"I know, Krya, but I promise I will not…" the rest of his sentence was cut off by the whoosh of the mallet ascending toward the young Baskar. With a grunt, Gallows blocked with the Zanzir, knocked the mallet back toward Sairon and followed it up with a horizontal slash toward Sairon's stomach, which he gracefully avoided.

"Hm…"said Sairon, looking at Gallows with amusement. "It appears that I have underestimated you… That is fine… I guess I no longer need to hold back…." From the depths of his ephemeral lungs came a howl that chilled Gallows to the bone.

"Hold… back…?" Gallows stuttered, as Sairon started to glow with a blood red light.

"DADDY NO! Please don't do that!" cried Krya, running past Gallows before he could stop her.

"Krya… NOO!" screamed Gallows, as he watched Sairon's mallet crush Krya's skull in.

Krya swaggered and then turned toward Gallows with a smile on her face.

" Gallows… you… can't stop fate…. " she whispered, the smile fading from her face. Gallows lowered the sword to his side, his mouth hanging open from shock and anger.

"But… but then… I… failed… again?" whispered Gallows, his voice reflecting the immense grief that he felt. Krya shook her head "no", smiled one more time, and then fell down to the ground, the whites of her eyes showing as she fell. Gallows looked down at the girl and then up at her father, who was looking at the girl with disdain.

"W-Why? What is WITH you?!" growled Gallows, holding the Zanzir back in front of him. Sairon laughed at Gallows and kicked Krya's prone body angrily, causing Gallows' eyes to narrow into glowing blue slits.

"She was a MISTAKE, don't you SEE that ?!" snarled Sairon, stepping over Krya's body, raising the mallet over his head once again.

"Mistake? How can a child be a MISTAKE?!' spat Gallows, readying the sword for what seemed to be the thousandth time. Sairon laughed and swung the mallet in a whistling arc in front of him, he was now just a couple of feet in front of Gallows. The young Baskarian backed up for some reason, he had a feeling that things were about to get ugly, and unfortunately, he was right.

"It is time…" screamed Sairon, putting the mallet away and taking out the railroad spike. Gallows stared in horror as the spike formed into a crude battle club with rusted spikes protruding sporadically down the sides. The hallway faded to black, causing Gallows to fumble toward the nearest wall.

"Ungh!" muttered Gallows, as his knuckles scraped against the wall. An insane wave of laughter caused Gallows to look around nervously, he hated being in the dark, especially when an insane specter was trying to bash his brains in with a battle club.

"I see you…" came Sairon's voice from behind him. Gallows whirled around and swung the Zanzir blindly toward the voice. Sairon grunted and Gallows felt his spirit move back a little.

"You're… you're pretty good…" rasped Sairon's voice a couple of feet in front of Gallows. The annoyed Baskar huffed and held the sword out in front of him, using it as a measuring device of sorts.

(I'm hitting nothing at all, He must be at least eight feet in front of me…)

__

No, he's moving toward your left…. He saw you use the sword as a measuring apparatus and decided to try and best you at your own game… It seems to be working quite well…

Gallows sighed and gracefully dropped the sword to the left, using it as a barrier now. Sairon grunted a little and Gallows felt movement behind him, with a hint of fear in his blind eyes, Gallows whirled around and stumbled back as quickly as he could, only to be greeted with a glancing blow from the club.

"Ugh…" cursed Gallows as he felt a stream of warm wetness run down the left side of his face.

The sound of descending metal caused Gallows to jump back and unconsciously raise the sword above his head, deflecting the blow that would have dashed his brains across the darkened floor.

__

Useless… It is my turn…

Gallows consciousness sunk back into its shell and Roka came forth, his eyes glowing gold with irritation.

"Well.." said Roka, cocking his head to the right saucily. "It seems like you have bit off more than you can chew…" snickered the demon, throwing the sword up in the air and catching the sword by the pommel perfectly. 

"Hmm, somehow I doubt that." Snickered Sairon, raising the battle club above his head, preparing to strike once again. Roka shook his head, and with inhuman speed, aimed a barrage of lightening fast thrust toward Sairon's upper torso, grunting, Sairon barely evaded the lightening fast moves. 

"Hmm… You are different now… Gallows.." huffed Sairon, dropping the club, much to Roka and Gallows' surprise.

(Roka… he's up to..)

Gallows' thoughts were interupted by Roka's pained screams as the teeth of a small metal creature clamped tightly around his leg.

"FUCK!" growled Roka, shaking his leg to dislodge the creatures teeth from his bleeding flesh.

"Meet my little friend, Malus, I'm sure you two well get along just…" The rest of his sentence was cut off by a small, and now headless, metal creature flying past his head. He blinked ,and then, with a guttural snarl, pulled the mallet out once again.

"Oh dear," laughed Roka as he healed his leg with a simple arcane spell, "It appears that the poor fool has lost its head!"

"Indeed…" replied Sairon darkly, tossing the mallet from one hand to the other.

" I just love to fight in the dark.. it's so invigorating!" laughed Roka, lunging toward Sairon, holding the Zanzir so that the bottom of the pommel was nestled safely in the nook between his shoulder and his clavicle. Sairon snarled and swung the mallet down in a whistling downward arc, which Roka handily dodged and countered with a perfectly executed strong thrust to Sairon's head.

A look of confusion crossed Sairon's face as Roka pulled the sword from between his eyes with a satisfied grunt. Sairon blinked a couple of times, a stream of blood flowing down his face in a constant rush. He dropped the mallet and fell face first at Roka's feet, almost as if he were worshipping him. Roka grunted, picked up the mallet, and slammed it down hard against Sairon's skull. Gallows cringed as he heard the sound of what seemed to be a huge egg cracking followed by a most unpleasant squishing sound.

(That would be his brain ,I believe…) thought Gallows with a hint of dark sarcasm.

"Game over…" whispered Roka, throwing the mallet down on top of the fading body.

__

Let's move, we have wasted too much time here… thought Roka, bestowing Gallows' body back to him.

Gallows, now used to the sudden change in gravity, accepted Roka's "gift" and started to walk down the hall, his feet slamming hard against the floorboards.

__

Must you walk so loud? We are…

(Roka, tell me more about Sairon..) 

__

There is not much to say, he was a man with to much pride and to little humanity…

"…. There's an exit up ahead, I believe… I wonder what lies beyond?" said Gallows, slowing down his pace a little.

__

I do not know, but I have a feeling it will be something that you can not handle…

Gallows snickered at Roka's vote of confidence and walked toward the oddly lit stairwell that led to the fourth floor.

A/N: Ah, yes, the fourth floor, well, this is sure getting interesting. Let me explain a little bit about why Krya was killed anyway. 1) Think of the events that took place up to the battle as set in stone, sure, Gallows would have done everything in his power to save Krya, but when it came down to it, he could not change the chain of fate in that scenario. 2) I needed something to fuel Gallows' rage, as we know, Gallows is very slow to anger, and seeing such an innocent person suffer was sure to make him angry. Well ,let it be known that there will be no more killing of the young, I myself, do not like writing things like that. Well, stay tuned for the next chapter! Oh and as for the railroad spike and mallet. When I thought of "Pride" the first thing that popped into my mind was the railroad system. In the Old West, railroad tycoons normally DID have a lot of pride, some were not corrupt and some were, Sairon was an example of the latter. Well, I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. Please stay tuned for the next one! ^ ^


	11. Chapter 8 Floor 4: Avaritia

**__**

Chapter 8

Floor Four: Avaritia

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"If money is the root of all evil, then evil must feel really GOOD!"

Gallows ascended the lit stairwell with the utmost caution, he had a feeling that there was a trap waiting for him in the illuminated wings of the next floor.

__

Hm, I sense a great deal of merriment ..despic…

"WELCOME!" boomed a friendly females voice as Gallows stepped onto the plush rug at the top of the stairs. His jaw dropped in revulsion as he looked around at his surroundings. The walls were painted a gaudy gold and glittered under the chandelier that was composed of Gella and some form of crystal. He looked down and noticed that the rug that he was standing on was scarlet with gold trim, definitely of the fake variety. To his left was a bar devoid of both bartender and booze and to his right were doors that led to somewhere unknown, and, as far Gallows was concerned, they were going to STAY unknown..

"Hmm…" mused Gallows, lifting his head so that he was now looking straight ahead. Just then a woman, wearing a minuscule skirt and an even smaller top, bounced cheerfully in front of Gallows, causing him to stumble back a little.

"Welcome to GELLA CENTRAL, the club of the RICH and FAMOUS! " she exclaimed, taking his warm hand into her cold one and shaking it fiercely. Gallows raised an eyebrow and slowly removed his hand from hers.

"Umm.. Yeah…." Quipped Gallows, really not knowing what else to say. The woman laughed and clapped him on the shoulder, letting her slender hand rest there for a moment before removing it with a sensual smile. Still smiling, she turned around and walked away, swinging her hips provocatively as she did so. Gallows closed his eyes and put his hand to his forehead with exasperation.

"You have GOT to be kidding me…." He opened his eyes and discovered that he was no longer alone and that the bar was now full of well dressed men and women… but.. there was something not quite right about the scene that was sprawled out in front of him.

"Hey! Come and have a seat, Mr. Carradine, we've been expecting you for a long time!" said a man dressed in a pin-striped red suit and a handlebar mustache that was seemingly pasted upon his pale face. Gallows blinked and started to walk toward the bar, clenching and unclenching his fist as he walked.

(There is something not right about all of this. I know that these are all phantoms but what I DON'T get is why they haven't attacked me yet…)

Gallows sat down next to the man and gave him a half hearted smile, the man smiled brightly back and patted the young Baskar's shoulder, making Gallows shudder inwardly.

__

Be grateful that they haven't.. It would be, shall we say, ANNOYING to fend off all of these phantoms.

Gallows nodded in agreement and rested his tense hands on the counter of the bar, it was at this point that the bartender turned around and gave Gallows a welcoming smile. Gallows shuddered when he saw a sharp tooth poke over the mans bloodless lips.

(Well.. that's friendly…)

"Well, Mr. Carradine, you are looking RAVISHING tonight! What would you like to drink? Gault's Fire? Raftina's Miracle or…" he said, reaching under the counter and pulling out a dark bottle that was labeled simply as " Baskar Treat".

"Um, actually, I'll have to decline your friendly offer, I.. don't have the Gella to pay for any of this and.."

Gallows was interupted by the bartenders fist shattering through the counter. Gallows stood up and realized that the people from the bar started to surround him in a loose circle.

"WHAT?! You don't have any MONEY to pay off your 10,000 Gella TAB!? You…" the bartender once again reached under the counter, this time producing a sawed off shotgun.

The circle around him tightened and he heard the sound of melee weapons being drawn. With a cold smile crossing his face, he closed his eyes and pulled out his Coyote, extracting a couple of surprised gasps from the circle of phantoms.

"Well, seeing as I don't have any Gella to pay for my tab.." Gallows opened his glowing blue eyes, his smile getting a little bigger. The circle started to break as Gallows spun the gun around his fingers a couple of times.

"I guess I'll have to pay with good ole' fashion LEAD!" he laughed, shooting the bartender in the head, coloring the golden wall gray and red. He whirled around toward the small group of onlookers and shot the nearest one through the throat. The scrawny man grabbed his throat and a fountain of blood spewed from his mouth. The rest of the group backed up, their weapons still raised in a fighting stance.

"Well, well…" said Gallows, shifting his gaze to each of the pale onlookers. "I suppose you all want a piece of the action as well? "

The group started to dissipate, leaving just a handful of brave souls to deal with the hulking Baskar.

"You… you don't belong here! L-leave this I-instant!" stuttered a red hair man with a freckled face, raising his knife shakily in front of him. Gallows blinked and put the Coyote away, showing that he wanted no unnecessary blood shed. The man backed off and allowed Gallows a path though the remaining people.

(That was too damn EASY! There must be more to this floor…) thought Gallows as he walked down the hallway, ignoring all the cold stares that were focused on his retreating form.

__

Yeah.. I'm sensing something big at the exit… I can only guess that it's the foreman of this floor..

Gallows looked down at his shaking hands and said nothing, there was not much that he could say at the moment. Roka snickered, drawing Gallows out of his half dazed stupor with a start.

(What's so funny?) thought Gallows at his possessor angrily.

__

You are! I find it amusing that you are becoming more like myself every second that you are in this building. Pretty soon you're going to have..

(Shut up, I will never be you…)

__

Think you so? Then why is it that you took a mans life without a second of hesitation? Hm? Answer me that, my foolish son.

( I don't feel the need to explain myself to you. I did what I had to do, end of story.) Thought Gallows coldly, somewhat afraid of the afflicted tone that he had acquired after that short battle. Instead of a stab of pain or a biting comment Roka just laughed and then sent Gallows an image of him shaking his head.

__

Yeah, just keep telling yourself that. Did you know that the bartenders gun had no bullets? You just shot an unarmed man. Does that fact make you proud?

(Well, he should have armed himself. And as for your misguided assumption, no, I don't take pride in killing people, as I said before, I'm a lover not a killer.)

_Yes, just keep deluding yourself.. It just makes my job all the more interesting._

Gallows was about to retort with a biting remark when he noticed that he was about to run into a golden door with a skull and crossbones as its knocker.

"Huh?" mumbled Gallows, reaching out to touch the cold metal door.

__

This door just screams "ENTER" doesn't it? Just so you know, the "something big" that I was speaking of is right beyond that door. Isn't that nice?

"Yeah.. really nice" said Gallows, taking the heavy knocker in his hand and rapping it against the door three times, there was an annoyed grunt followed by the sound of water being displaced.

"Who IS it? Don't you know it is rude to interrupt someone's bath?"

Gallows fell silent as he heard the sound of footsteps coming toward the door.

(What am I to expect? What..?)

The door was flung open and a man clothed in a white towel glared at Gallows under a mane of dripping wet hair. Gallows stepped back and gave him a meaningful smile and then looked away, indicating that he did not want to be rude. The man grunted his thanks and slammed the door in Gallows' face, causing Gallows to glare at the door with irritation.

"That was certainly rude…Oh well, I suppose I would be grumpy if some stranger interrupted MY bath."

__

I doubt that a stranger could stomach seeing you nude…

Gallows rolled his eyes and was about to say something perverted when the door opened to a figure clothed completely in gold, even his long black hair was tied back with a gold covered band.

"Now, what is it that you need? It better be good, I had to cut my Gella bath short on your account."

Gallows averted his eyes from the horrid form of the guy, choosing instead to look at the plush carpet at his feet. After a couple of irritated seconds the man in gold coughed and tapped Gallows on the shoulder, causing the befuddled priest to look up at him hesitantly.

"Yeah?" asked Gallows, looking past the man and into his room.

" What is it that you need? And…" he stepped in front of Gallows, blocking his view with gold fuzziness. "STOP LOOKING INTO MY ROOM, THERE'S NOTHING THERE FOR YOU!"

"Sorry…" smirked Gallows, looking back down at the rug.

__

Fool. Get to the damn point, this man doesn't seem to be strong in the patience department..

"I need to get to the next floor and I think that there is a stairwell in your room, do you think that I could use it and…"

"How much Gella do you have?" interrupted the man, holding out his hand greedily. Gallows shook his head and turned his empty pockets out, showing the man that he had no Gella.

"How dare you knock at Mammon's door without a monetary gift! Didn't you know that you are supposed to give me SOME form of gift!?" roared Mammon, dropping his hand to his side in disappointment and rage. Gallows shook his head "no" fighting the urge to reach for either the Zanzir or the dagger on his belt.

"Come in, you need a lesson on the importance of Gella and other material items!" snarled Mammon, grabbing Gallows' hand and pulling him into his golden den of horrors.

(I think that the room will kill me before he does.. ) thought Gallows as he was pulled into the room.

When Virginia stopped her horse and pulled out the trinket that Gallows had given her, Clive and Jet looked at her with a certain degree of worry and irritation.

"Virginia, we are almost to Simulacrum, I can see it on the horizon, why are we stopping?" asked Clive softly, looking at his leader with confusion.

"Yeah, I thought you were all hot to trot and ready to save Gallows!" retorted Jet, looking at Virginia impatiently. Virginia nodded her head at her companions apologetically and then showed them the trinket.

"This thing started to vibrate like an angry bee! You should have felt it!" she exclaimed, closing her hand around the trinket and pressing her fist to her chest.

"So? What does that have to do with us?" said Jet, spurring his horse into action. Virginia put the trinket away and followed Jet's example, as did Clive.

"It means that Gallows is still alive and well!" smiled Virginia, riding up beside Jet and giving his arm an excited tug. Jet closed his eyes with irritation and shook his head from side to side.

"You really are hopeless. " he smiled, opening his eyes and giving her a kind look, showing that he did not mean what he said. Virginia laughed and urged her horse to go faster with a gentle to kick to its flanks.

"Come on! Let's bring Gallows home and end this mission successfully!" she cheered, riding toward the hulking form of Simulacrum. Jet looked at Clive with a quizzical glance and then sped up to catch up with Virginia. The green hair sniper simply smiled and caught up with the other two, a fresh feeling of hope welling within the recesses of his heart.

"And that…" finished Mammon with a nod of his head, "Is why it is so IMPORTANT to have money and power." Gallows blinked at Mammon and then closed his eyes, trying to make sense of all the raving that had spilled from Mammon's lips.

"So, what you're trying to tell me is this.." said Gallows, opening his eyes and locking them onto Mammon's.

"Money and power are like guards to you. The more you have of both makes you less vulnerable. You feel as if money and power are the only things that matter. You can have anything that you want as long as the price is right… Am I correct?"

Mammon nodded, looking rather impressed.

" You are rather bright, Mr. Carradine, I'm sure that your parents are proud." 

To this sentence Gallows snorted and shook his head "no". 

"My father thinks that I'm a loser and my mother is dead…" 

Gallows was shocked when the man put his jeweled hand on his knee and gave it a squeeze.

"I know Gallows.. I've known about you for a long time…" whispered Mammon, removing his hand from Gallows' knee and looking at him intently. Gallows narrowed his eyes and looked at Mammon with dissonance. There was something off about all of this, and Gallows was going to found out what it was.

"How do you know about me? I don't recall ever meeting you." Said Gallows, feeling the weight of dread pressing warmly against his chest.

"Well, you see, I am part of Simulacrum and Simulacrum knows many thing." Replied Mammon cryptically. Gallows looked at him with an expression of befuddlement, his mind trying to decipher what Mammon had said.

"That doesn't tell me much. I want to know how you know so much about me." 

To this statement, Mammon closed his eyes and snickered, making Gallows feel rather uneasy.

"Well, you see, Simulacrum is a loop of sorts, it replays the events of the past, but with different people. It's kind of like a play that has the same supporting cast but a different lead actor or actress. It's rather interesting. And it would be most intriguing to point out a very strange aspect of Simulacrum, it traps the spirits in a perpetual loop." To the last sentence, Gallows mouth dropped open with disgust and surprise.

"You mean.. the spirits are not here on their own accord?"

Mammon laughed and shook his head.

"Well, it all depends on who you talk to, some people, like myself, rather enjoy Simulacrum. While others, like those that died an unexpected death, feel differently. It is all a matter of perspective, as such, you can not make hasty assumptions on the character of the people here based on one bad encounter."

Gallows raised an eyebrow and scratched his chin.

"Why do you like this place? It's depressing in my opinion." Mumbled Gallows, looking around at the gaudy room with a look of disgust and skepticism.

"Well, to be quite blunt, I am greedy, I want to know everything, to posses everything…" he looked at Gallows in almost a longing manner.

(What the HELL? Why is he looking at me like that?!)

"I'm sorry, I don't quite know what you're getting at. I…" Gallows' sentence came to an abrupt stop when Mammon took his hand into his jeweled one and gave it a tight squeeze.

" There is one thing that I don't have, and that is a person to share all of this with. Gallows! Stay with me, help me run my empire! You can have anything that your heart desires! Anything at all, just say the word!"

Gallows said nothing and looked at the man with both pity and disgust. Seeing that his words had no effect on the Baskar, Mammon stood up quickly and walked swiftly to a mahogany dresser that had a mirror rimmed with gold. With a grunt, he opened one of the drawers, pulled out a large bag, bulging to the point of almost bursting open, and strolled back over to where Gallows was sitting with a prissy speed seemingly possessed by most rich people that resided here.

"Here!" he said, plunking the bag down on the table in front of Gallows and looking at him expectantly. Gallows looked down at the bag and then back up at Mammon.

"What is this? Gella? If it is, I have no interest in it." Said Gallows flatly, looking curtly at Mammon.

Mammon blinked, grabbed Gallows' shaking hand, and pressed a solid gold ring into his hand.

Gallows once again remained silent and shook his head in a negative response.

"W-What?! That ring grants you POWER! Don't you FEEL it, Gallows? Don't you feel the POWER coursing through the ring?"

Gallows closed his hand around the ring and shut his eyes, figuring he should at least HUMOR the poor guy. The second that he shut his eyes, a thousand planets floated past him, they were so close that he felt as if he could touch him. 

(Perhaps I can…) He reached out and to his surprise, the planet floated to him like a puppy would bound toward his owner.

( No, there is more to this, I am already lord of my mind! I don't NEED this trinket to acknowledge this!)

Gallows opened his eyes and simply dropped the ring onto the table in front of him, extracting an exasperated growl from Mammon.

"What? Is that ring not to your liking?' exclaimed Mammon, standing up fervently and looking down at Gallows angrily. Gallows shook his head "no" and closed his eyes as a sign of defiance. However, an abrupt wave of laughter caused him to open them in a heart beat. Suddenly, Mammon was behind him, running a smooth hand through his hair.

"I know what you want…" whispered Mammon into his ear, causing Gallows to shiver in a fit of cold terror and disgust. Mammon pulled his hand from Gallows' hair and snapped his finger sharply twice. A wave of laughter emanated from the far right hand room and then three scantily clad women minced out holding bottles of wine and other assorted bottles. Mammon reappeared in front of Gallows with an expression that said "I have you now".

A woman with long black dropped down to his left side and placed her hand on his chest seductively, but surprisingly, Gallows did not respond to this action as one with expect, choosing instead to sit perfectly still, his face a mask of perfect calm.

"Hmm… he's a pretty tough man…" purred a lady with short red hair, rubbing his shoulders soothingly. Still no response from Gallows, much to Roka and Mammon's surprise.

"I know what he…" started a woman with long blue hair, moving in front of him to give it a try. However, she never got a chance to try because Gallows gently pushed her away and stood up, a scowl of disgust on his battered face.

"You just don't get it, do you? Nothing you have can compare to what's in my heart. Gella can buy a dozen roses but not true affection. A ring that seemingly holds power over a thousand worlds does not compare to the power that a certain woman holds over my being. And women? I'm sorry, they me be attractive on the outside, but on the inside they are nothing but soulless puppets controlled by a very cruel master. I hate to put it this way, but you can take all of your treasure AND your ideas and shove them. You can speak to me all day about your ignorant concepts of what is right, however, you will not change my mind." Said Gallows coldly, walking toward the startled Mammon menacingly and reaching toward the Zanzir. Mammon stumbled back and motioned for the women to leave the room, which they did with little hesitation. Gallows unsheathed the Zanzir with his left hand and swung it back and forth in front of him, each swing bringing a cold and metallic "whoosh".

" I doubt my words are getting to you, and that is fine. Let me pass and no harm will come to you." Spoke Gallows evenly, his words holding no animosity. 

"Listen you… BASTARD! I was willing to share all of my wealth and glory with you, and you have the audacity to throw my kindness back into my face with a threat toward my own life?!" snarled Mammon, stumbling toward the gaudy golden fireplace.

"That is correct…" responded Gallows, gripping the pommel with his right hand as well and bringing it in front of him in a defensive stance. Unconsciously he contoured his body into a defensive stance as well, so that his legs formed themselves into a practically unshakable base. That is, left leg behind, toes pointing away from the body in order to prevent knock back, right leg out in front, toes facing toward the opponent, knees slightly bent to cushion impact.

"I… you… you are going to PAY! " shouted Mammon, grabbing a handful of Gella from the bag on the table and clasping it tightly in his right hand.

Gallows blinked and sheathed the Zanzir, not knowing WHAT to think about the latest turn of events.

(Projectiles…Hm, this should prove to be entertaining….)

__

Fool, do not be so cocky! There is more to this man than meets the eye!

"Well, since you don't want to be part of my family I guess you'll have to…" He threw the Gella at Gallows, watching with merriment as the Gella glowed black and grew blood red wings.   
"Wh-What?!" growled Gallows, jumping back as quickly as he could and swinging the sword in a wide arc, causing a wave of distortion, Gallows blinked at what he had just done, recovered, and regained his stance, staring at Mammon with irritation.

"Is that the best you can do? I would think…" Gallows was interrupted by the sound of something screeching by his ear and instinctively he tilted his head to the opposite direction, a stream of warmth trickled down his neck and he reached up to discover that the tip of his ear was missing.

__

Well, that will teach you not to be so cocky next time…

"What do you think of my spell? It's called the " Sweet sound of Gella" what do you think?" Gallows snorted and tilted the sword to the left and then to the right, bouncing the torch light off of its reflective surface.

"I think it's stupid, and I think that you're stupid for…" he was interrupted by Mammon's angry scream and fell silent, readying himself for another projectile attack.

"How DARE you call my attacks STUPID! I worked years on perfecting that move! I wanted it to be perfect, I wanted everyone to tremble when they heard the name! I wanted.."

"Shut up.." Gallows said quietly, resting the Zanzir on his shoulder and walking toward Mammon slowly. Mammon smiled and lifted his hand, causing Gallows to stop in mid-stride.

(It's never good when a spirit lifts his or her hand, it normally spells trouble for me…)

__

Yeah, well, I can assure you that this DOES mean trouble for you. He's opening a gate to another..

The rest of Roka's thought was interupted by a sucking sound followed by the pull of gravity at Gallows' stomach. It was at that second he realized that he was starting to fall, but to where he was falling, he knew not.

"Man, this place is just so FRIENDLY…" mumbled Jet, halting his horse at the gates of Simulacrum and looking up at the decrepit buildings. Virginia rode up beside him and stopped her horse a little bit in front of him, whistling as she did so.

"Yeah, it really does look inviting…." 

Clive stopped his horse a couple of feet behind the other two Drifter and cursed inwardly, he didn't much care for the feeling that was flowing from Simulacrum.

"I feel Gallows' spirit in that tall building over there…" said Virginia, grasping the trinket in her right hand and pointing to the tall red building with her left.

"Hmm… So, that trinket, does it tell you Gallows' thoughts as well?" asked Clive, dismounting his horse and taking his sniper rifle from the gun harness on the horses back. 

"Yeah," grunted Jet, as he dismounted his horse and looked at Virginia, "I want to know what kind of horribly perverted thoughts he's thinking.." snickered Jet, removing his gun from its holster and looking down the barrel to make sure that the sites were right. Virginia bowed her head and slowly moved it from side to side.

"No, it just starts to tremble when he is near.." said Virginia softly, getting silence as a response.

Jet broke the silence with a snort and walked toward the gate only to be knocked back by an invisible force. Jet's free flying lesson ended near Clive's horse, where he slid a couple of feet on his butt before coming to a halt. He stood up quickly, a blush of irritation coloring his pale face for a moment or so before he composed himself. Virginia walked toward the gate and walked right through without a problem.

"Hm, I wonder why our leader is having no trouble getting past whatever is blocking the gate?" Mused Clive, walking over to the gate and sticking his hand out to see if it to would be repelled, and his experiment proved what he had theorized all along, there was something blocking their paths that only Virginia could pass.

"Virginia, could you please come back toward us? I want to see if my theory is correct." Asked Clive politely of the young female drifter. Virginia nodded and walked back toward the gate only to be flung back as soon as she attempted to walk through the gate. 

"Ugh!" mumbled Virginia, landing on her feet gracefully, so unlike Jet, who had a very enjoyable flying lesson followed by a not so enjoyable landing lesson.

"Virginia, is the trinket that Gallows gave you reacting to the gate?" Inquired Clive, walking up to the gate and looking at Virginia intently. Virginia took the trinket out of her pocket and shivered, the ornament felt like twisted ice with a magnetic pull to it.

"I'd say it's reacting! I feel so much fear and anxiety that I feel ill!" exclaimed Virginia stuffing the memento back in her pocket in a hurried manner. She closed her eyes and tried her best to communicate with Gallows' seemingly lost spirit.

(Gallows, please be all right, I'm coming for you, I'm going to save you from this hell hole.. I swear..)

As if responding to her words ,the trinket felt like it had caught on fire and then iced itself over.

(Was that Gallows' acknowledgment that he heard me?)

Virginia nodded and turned her back on her team mates, causing them to start a little.

"Where are you going Virginia? Now is not the time to split up! Let us find a way in and.." started Clive, only to be interrupted by Virginia's loud protest and a cold over the shoulder glance.

"Now is not the time to debate, I am going in after Gallows, even if I most go in alone…" she finished, turning her head back toward Simulacrum. It was then Clive realized that he was no longer talking to Virginia. Clive bowed his head and accepted his defeat, there was no need in arguing the fact any longer.

"Hey! You just can't charge in there all by yourself! You might get hurt.. or worse…" shouted Jet, adding the last part with a heavy hearted tone. 

"Thank you for you concern, Jet, but I'll be fine…" she turned all the way around and gave him a gentle smile. "I promise.." she said, turning back around and walking toward Simulacrum at a rapid pace.

"Well, what do we do now? Find a way in? Burst through? Blow something up? Come on, Clive, you're the genius of the group!" huffed Jet, clenching his right hand into a fist and slamming it into his open left hand. Clive shook his head regretfully and tied up his and Gallows' horse to a jutted up piece of wood. Jet glared at the sniper but said nothing, following Clive's example and tying his and Virginia's horse to separate pieces of metal pipe that was sticking out of the ground a couple of feet from Clive's. There was a moment of silence and then:

"Clive, do horse whistles just TELEPORT our horses to wherever we are? Or do they just have good hearing and better stamina.. I've always wondered that.." said Jet quietly, leaning up against an old stone wall that seemed to be as old as Filgaia itself. Clive shrugged at this question and watched as a flock of doves flew over Simulacrum, their tranquil white color contrasting greatly with the darkness that surrounded Simulacrum.

Gallows landed on a large round platform, his feet hitting the hard surface painfully. 

(That wasn't a very long fall but still….) Gallows looked around for a second or two, trying to make sense of it all. He started when he heard Mammon's laughter right behind him. He whirled around to a fleeting mist and turned back around to a grinning Mammon.

"Well, it seems like you changed your mind! How delightful, I do hope you enjoy your stay!" laughed Mammon gleefully, grabbing a bag full of Gella from his pocket and digging his hand into it greedily.

Gallows snorted his irritation and pulled out the Zanzir, loosening up his muscles for maximum speed. He didn't know HOW he knew all of this, it just seemed to come to him naturally.

"I'm SURE that we will enjoy each other's company…" responded Gallows, letting the Zanzir rest loosely in his closed hand.

****

(Think of it as the way you fight. The looser your body is the quicker you can evade attacks and…) Rsalis' voice was interrupted by the sound of flying Gella as Mammon pulled off his attack successfully.

Gallows evaded most of them easily but…a second later deep gashes erupted on his abdomen and his chest, much to his dismay. 

(What?! But I thought I had avoided them!)

Mammon laughed and pulled out another handful of Gella as Gallows healed himself the best that he could.

"I have another surprise for you!" screeched Mammon, throwing the Gella onto the ground, each piece of Gella exploded as soon as it hit the ground, lodging sharp pieces of Gella into Gallows' face. Gallows was smart enough to block his eyes with his free arm but his face felt as if someone had thrown liquid fire onto it. Gallows grunted and uncovered his eyes, looking at Mammon with murderous intentions. A trickle of blood dripped into his eyes and he wiped it away and sheathed the Zanzir.

"That does it, I've had it up to HERE with your damn parlor tricks!" spat Gallows, tasting the sweet tang of blood as he spoke. Mammon was about to reach back into the bag, when Gallows pulled out his Coyote and blew a hole into both the bag and Mammon's stomach. Mammon looked down at his stomach and it healed up quickly. Gallows growled and looked down at the Gella that was now spread out all over the floor.

"Come to me my children! Let us show our guest the power of MONEY!" screamed Mammon, holding his arm out in front of him with his palm facing Gallows. The Gella on the floor twitched and then grew legs, causing Gallows to jump back in surprise.

"What in the world?" Queried Gallows as he quickly put his gun away and unsheathed the Zanzir once again. The Gella scuttled toward him quickly and he slammed the sword into the ground, causing a minor shock wave. The Gella monster's legs melted and sank back into the coins, much to Gallows' relief. Mammon laughed and was about to throw out more coins when Gallows rushed him with the Zanzir held out in front of him like a spear. Mammon did not have time to react and Gallows shoved the spirit sucking blade through the mans stomach, bringing forth a spurt of blood from Mammon's open mouth.

"Will you let me pass?" whispered Gallows, pushing the sword deeper into the Mammon's stomach, hence bringing himself closer to the dying man. Mammon laughed dryly and coughed up more blood.

"Only if you can solve this puzzle…" spat the dying man. Gallows withdrew the sword from the man's stomach, wiped off the blade in one swift motion, and sheathed it, not once taking his eyes from Mammon. Mammon grasped his stomach in watched in fascination as bright red blood flowed over his shaking fingers like a crimson waterfall.

"I.. saw.. that… you.. were… " spat Mammon through bloody lips, pulling himself away from Gallows slowly. Gallows, not wanting to set himself up for a trap, followed the bleeding man to the center of the circle, his eyes locked onto the bloodstained trail the whole time.

"Solve this puzzle and you are free to leave…." Whispered Mammon, reaching his hand up one last time before letting it drop lifelessly to the ground. The ground around Gallows shook and a pedestal rose a little bit in front of him. Gallows walked over to the pedestal and read the inscription.

(1+3) (4+1) (1+0) (9+1+5+5) (5+3)= (9+6) (3+1) (2+2)

(6+6) (6+3) (1+5) (4+1)= (4+1) (10+10+2) (3+2) (7+7)

"Ugh, why must greedy people be so good at math?" 

__

How else would they count Gella? Idiot…

"Well, I know for a fact that all those numbers don't equal up… Hmm…" It was then when Gallows noticed buttons labeled "One " and "Two " respectively. 

"So, if I chose right, I'm free… but…"

__

Let's not think about that… Hm.. 4…5…1…20…8… equals…15…4…4… And, if I'm right all we do is… Okay… Gallows here is what the first message says : "Death equals Odd" and I can only assume that "Life equals even" Press "two" ,Gallows, we need to get the hell out of here. 

Gallows concurred by pressing the second button at first, all was silent, and then something below them started up and the platform started to rise, taking them to Mammon's now empty room.

"Well, I guess it's off to the next floor. I hope that there's no more math involved…" 

Roka answered his son's whining with a swift shot of pain to the back of his knees, causing Gallows to nearly collapse on the floor.

Gallows proceeded toward the fireplace and looked around, somehow knowing that the stairwell leading up to the next floor was somewhere around.

"Aha!" exclaimed Gallows, noticing an indention near the right side of the fireplace. After working a little "Baskar Magic" The stairway leading up to the next floor made itself known with a groan from the fire place. With a nod, Gallows proceeded up the stairs, glad to leave this hovel of greed behind.


	12. Chapter 8 Floor 5: Gula

**__**

Chapter 8

Floor 5:Gula

"Put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony. " - Proverbs 23:2

Every step he took reverberated in his fear constricted chest. Gallows was five steps from the top and yet every step seemed to be heavier than the last. He closed his eyes and leaned against the wall with a sigh. He wanted to pretend that he didn't see blood colored lights filtering down from the floor above him. He also wanted to ignore the stench of rotting flesh that invaded his nostrils, that would have been nice too.

(Well, this doesn't look good for our heroes..) Thought Gallows as he opened his eyes and started to ascend the stairs to the unknown once again.

__

Well, aren't we the master of the obvious…

(Apparently…)

A sudden cold chill ripped down his spine and a wave of nausea overtook him as his vision grayed out and then came back on line in gloomy grays and whites. He blinked, trying to make sense of it all. He tried to move his legs to continue up, but for some reason, his legs would not respond to his brains command.

(Why can't I move? What's going…)

He was interupted by a humming sound followed by an inhuman screech.

(Move…)

Still no response from his body. He sighed inwardly and was about to will movement again when he stepped up rather quickly, feeling the familiar rip of his spirit tearing itself away from his body.

Gallows felt himself start to walk, quite keen to the fact that he had no control of his actions, even his thoughts were not completely his own.

(_He said he wanted to be my friend….I'm too nice…) _came a feminine voice from the left side of his skull.

(Who are you? What's going on?) thought Gallows frantically as he crested the stairs.

(_He was so sad…so sad..)_

They were at the top now, focusing in on the blood soaked walls and the half eaten corpses with morbid fascination.

(_He said that he was lonely and….)_

A hulking form that had been partially covered by the cloak of shadows , stepped into the monotonous light, startling both the woman and Gallows.

"Friend?" whimpered the form, throwing down a half eaten leg that he had been munching on.

"Who are you?" inquired the specter in a lyrical voice.

(So I'm female….?)

_Hush! Will you please stop asking such OBVIOUS questions!_

"My name is Suillus and I want a friend…" whimpered Suillus, his huge stomach quivering as he took a step toward the woman and Gallows, his lower lip trembling.

"I will be your friend. My name is Zamaae, how do you do?" Inquired the kind woman, reaching out a delicate hand toward the quaking man.

(Idiot! Didn't she see him throw down that leg ? Damn, I could understand her being nonchalant about, say, a chicken leg, but NOT a human leg!)

__

…. You talk to damn much… Compassion can blind the most intellectual person.. 

(I just wanted to help…)

"You will be my friend?" whined Suillus, rubbing his ample stomach with a bloodied grin. Zamaae smiled and took a step closer, her hand still extended toward Suillus.

"My love, don't you remember me? I'm your wife… " She whispered as she locked eyes with Suillus, her slender hand caressing his bloated face lovingly.

Suillus blinked and put his hand over hers, blinking at this revelation.

"My… my love?" sobbed Suillus, pulling his wife into the folds of his stomach. Gallows cringed when the smell of rotting flesh pressed itself into his nostrils.

(For the love of Raftina, woman, pull away from him! Aughhh, the smell is horrid!)

__

For the record, you do not smell any better…

(Thank you for that lovely bit of information. No, really, I'll store that with all the rest of the dumb things that you have managed to spit from that tainted mouth of yours.)

(_I just wanted to see him again….)_

"Did you find him?" whispered Zamaae, pulling away from Suillus and looking up at him. Suillus shook his head "no" and sobbed a little.

"I couldn't get past HIM!" screamed Suillus, pointing to an unknown party further down the hallway.

"I see.. Then let's go! Let's get out of here before even more of our…" The rest of her sentence was cut off by the sound of ripping flesh and the crack of breaking bone, Suillus was holding his wife's arm in his hand, sobbing uncontrollably.

Surprisingly, Zamaae did not scream, instead she looked up at her husband with pity.

(_I know HE made Suillus do that… It was not my husband that devoured my flesh….)_

Gallows shuddered at that comment and felt a searing pain as the flesh from her neck was ripped away from the muscle with a satisfied grunt.

(Make it stop.. I don't want to feel the flesh being ripped from my bones…) begged Gallows as Suillus took a chunk of Zamaae's muscle between his teeth and chewed it like one would on gum.

(_I don't want you to suffer..) _Whispered Zamaae kindly, her eye falling to the floor with a wet thud and looking up at her distorted body.

Just as Gallows was about to scream he felt a tug at his spirit and all of the sudden he was back in his body again, sweating profusely.

"Wh-What the HELL was that?!" he groaned, standing up shakily, his eyes still glossed over with ghostly tears. There was no answer from Roka, nor did he expect there to be one.

(I must have fallen down as soon as my spirit left my body…)

__

While we are stating the obvious, might I point out that we may run into a slight problem up ahead.

(Point dully noted. Yes, I am aware that we might have to take on Suillus AND whatever is behind him. For some reason, I feel as if Suillus is a decoy…)

"And that decoy will lead us right into the fangs of the wolf.." Added Gallows out loud, looking to his left and right cautiously, he knew all to well that Simulacrum was full of surprises.

__

You are finally showing a semblance of intelligence, I'm slightly impressed.

"Now is not the time…" whispered Gallows, putting his right foot on the next step, he was about to ascend when he paused. Roka grunted with irritation and was about to ask him what was wrong when Gallows spoke in a dead sounding voice.

"He wants a friend…" Gallows unsheathed the Zanzir in held it vertically in front of him, looking at his battle weary face in the broad side of the sword. "Then a friend he shall have.." finished Gallows, closing his eyes and quickly twisting the pommel in his hands so that the sharp edge nearly touched his face.

"Let's rock…"

The walls were still covered with dried blood and the stench of death still hung heavily in the air, but, there was something missing. The corpses that had littered the floor were now gone, replaced by the heavy aura of the fallen "friends" that had met their ends at the hands of Suillus. Gallows whistled inwardly and sheathed the Zanzir, he had a feeling that talking to Suillus with your sword unsheathed would bring about an unnecessary fight.

(I know that we will probably have to fight Suillus, in fact, I KNOW we will have to fight Suillus but.. I'd rather try to talk to him before I fight him, he didn't seem to be that bad of a person.)

__

Damn it Gallows, unsheathe the sword! You are being naïve and…

"FRIEND!" roared a voice from the red, flickering shadows. Gallows took a deep breath and pressed forward, his right hand resting lightly on his dagger while his left hand swept silently against his pants leg.

"Yes, I'm a friend. My name is Gallows." Said Gallows quietly, fingering the wooden hilt of the dagger.

"Gallows? You're… a friend?" whimpered Suillus, stepping timidly out of the flickering shadows, causing Gallows to take a couple of precautionary steps back.

"Yes, and I wanted to know if you can help me." Replied Gallows, looking up at the man's face, noting that it towered a couple of feet above him.

"What do you need? Suillus wants to help his friend.." smiled Suillus, patting Gallows gently on top of his head. Gallows chuckled softly and took a step back, causing Suillus' hand to slip off and fall limply onto his ample stomach. Suillus looked at Gallows , sulking a little as he did so, and took a step back.

"I need to get to the next floor. I need…" Gallows smiled dripped into a frown. "To get out of this hell hole. Will you help me?" inquired Gallows, his eyes glowing intently into Suillus'. Suillus seemed to step aside and then , almost as an after though, reached for Gallows' shoulder. With a grunt and a tiny cry of surprise, Gallows batted his hand away and stepped back, readying the Zanzir. Suillus' face darkened and he clenched his pudgy fists to his side. Gallows was starting to feel uneasy, he was quite aware of Suillus' strength.

"Why do you want to fight…" Suillus' face twitched and a piece of skin slowly peeled off to reveal yellow fatty tissue and pulsating muscles. Gallows fought the urge to vomit and held the Zanzir diagonally in front of him, putting him into a defense to sudden strike stance.

"I don't want to fight… but.. I don't want to become your meal either…" Gallows replied mildly, looking at Suillus with both caution and pity. A bloody tear fell down Suillus' face and he wiped it away quickly, his once gentle blue eyes darkening to light green.

" You… want to fight…" growled Suillus, his face sprouting screaming, gore covered faces. Gallows narrowed his eyes, if it was a fight that he sought, then a fight he would get.

"I don't suppose you would mind putting your face away, it's scaring the children.." simpered Gallows, sliding his hand a little further up the pommel, giving himself a little more stability. Suillus' faces howled angrily causing the roof above them to shift and groan a little. Gallows looked up nervously and then back at Suillus, his face twisting in disgust at what he saw. Arms of all sizes had erupted from his belly and were waving at Gallows frantically, tying to get him to come closer.

(Oh no you don't, I ain't falling for that…)

An old woman's face screamed his name and then seemingly melted back into the mass of tortured visages.

"Well, Mr. Carradine, how do you like my "pet"?" inquired a smooth voice from behind Suillus' quaking form. Gallows spat at the floor and moved the sword in front of him, the wicked looking blade facing the still developing monster.

"It's disgusting, and you're disgusting for creating something like this from a HUMAN!" snarled Gallows, waving the sword a little in front of him, taunting the creature to make its move.

The fingers were beginning to sprout little tendrils of red energy that started to slowly crawl up Suillus' arm. Gallows looked at the monster with pure hatred now, knowing that there was nothing to pity now.

"I don't have time for you…" growled Gallows, pulling the sword into a high thrust position, his eyes glimmering with malice. Suillus howled and lumbered toward Gallows menacingly, his arms held above his head, fist clenched into a human hammer.

(No time…) 

With a cry of rage, Gallows charged the hulking form, the sword a couple of inches away from his flowing hair. The hands of the damned reached toward Gallows longingly and with swift motion he cut them away from the main body. As Gallows shoved the sword though Suillus' throat he saw the creature mouth the words "Thank you."

Gallows nodded and quickly pulled the sword from Suillus' throat, feeling as a light mist of warm blood coated his flushed face. Suillus stood frozen in a grotesque pose, his faces screaming silently as the final bit of blood sprayed onto the floor. Gallows sighed, closed his eyes, and sheathed the Zanzir.

"Impressive, Gallows, I was not expecting you to be this good!" boomed the smooth voice from down the hall. Gallows snorted ,opened his eyes, and looked down the hallway with irritation.

"And I did not expect you to be so cowardly.. Step out and face me…" Snapped Gallows, reaching back to unsheathe the Zanzir. Laughter boomed down the narrow hall way and a shadow formed on the wall. Gallows swallowed hard and stumbled against the opposite wall, unsure of what to do.

"What's wrong? Do you not like me?" laughed the shade, its black teeth showing hauntingly.

Gallows composed himself and smiled, causing the smile on the shadows face to fade a little.

"It's not like that at all. You see, you think that you have me fooled but you really don't." laughed Gallows in an almost insane tone. The smile was now completely gone from the shades face, it was replaced by an angry sneer. Gallows once again shut his eyes and slowly shook his head back and forth, a small smile crossing his face. He could feel the shadow's presence moving around him.

"You were expecting me to fight you with my eyes open. That was your first mistake. Everyone knows that a shadow is cast by a solid object, as such, all I need to do is lock onto you and your finished."

"Do you think it that simple? Unlike most of the phantoms here, my shadow can deal damage to you and.."

"Shove it, let's dance…" spat Gallows, opening his now golden eyes, a cruel scowl on his face. The shadow laughed and leaped to the other wall, reaching for Gallows as he did so. Gallows evaded and slashed in the opposite direction of the arm. There was a spurt of blood from seemingly mid air and the shadow retreated a little.

"Impressive.. no one has been able to evade that attack before.." huffed the shade, retreating to the far end of the right hand wall. Gallows smiled once again and brought the sword back into the defense to sudden strike stance. The shadow once again rushed him, this time splitting into two different beings and running against the wall. Gallows shut his eyes , locked on to the form to his right and swung the sword into a graceful upward arc followed by a series of light thrust to the abdominal region. A film of butchery was now covering Gallows' body, sighing inwardly he sheathed the Zanzir and looked down at the eviscerated form of the shadow. Except, it was no longer a shadow, now, it was a middle aged man with writing on his hands. It was written in Elwian verse but he understood it just fine.

"_Gluttony is a trap that wise men stumble into. Sometimes it is but a shadow of a doubt that makes us want more. We fear that we don't have enough friends so we force ourselves onto others. We fear that we will starve so we eat until we are ill. Gluttony is a demon that is hard to beat because we, ourselves, create it._" 

Gallows sighed as he stepped over the demons body, looking back to give it one more pitiful glance before he walked down the bloodstained hallway and toward the rickety stairs that lead to the next floor.

**__**

"Humans, by nature, fear the unknown. This fear, this plague, has swarmed into the minds of the frail and poisoned them with illusions of grandeur. Humans need to be fed, so they hunt. Humans need shelter, so they build. Humans need companionship, so they mate. It is not surprising that some humans desire to be overly aquatinted with the luxuries of life. The purposely ignorant call it "Comfortable Living". While the wise man calls it "Gluttony"… Gluttony has lead humans into catastrophic demises. Just look back in history and you will see a sordid past indeed…"


	13. Chapter 8 Floor 6: Acedia

**__**

**_Chapter 8:Floor 6_**

**_Acedia_**

_I'll do it tomorrow.._

Gallows was somewhat surprised when his face was unpleasantly introduced to a solid oak door. He rubbed his nose and glared at it with irritation.

(Why, THANK YOU, I really didn't need that nose anyway…)

__

You should be more careful, you're way too clumsy…

"Yeah, yeah…" simpered Gallows, reaching down for the faded copper door knob.

As his hand circled the door knob, a cold chill crept down his spine and he quickly pulled his hand away.

(Now I _really_ don't want to open this door…)

__

Stop being a weakling, we have GOT to get through this. Do you understand me?

Gallows sighed and nodded his head slowly, he hated it when Roka actually made sense!

He reached down and turned the cold door knob, his hand shaking as he did so. It did not exactly make him feel warm and fuzzy when the door opened with a shriek, in fact, had he not been high on adrenaline, he would have exited in a quick manner from Simulacrum like a bat out of hell.

(Doors are NOT supposed to shriek, damn it!)

__

Well, just acknowledge it and move on like a good boy…)

Gallows rolled his eyes and stepped through the door, his feet automatically adhering to the floor for some reason. With a grunt of exertion, Gallows lifted his foot and then slammed it back down on the floor as hard as he could. He did not care much for the sensation of immobility.

__

It's dark… I wonder what got a hold of your foot?

Gallows sighed and blinked a couple of times, hoping that it would help his eyes adjust to the darkness.

(I don't want to hear that right now, so, if you would, you know, go away and leave me alone…Yeah…)

A buzzing sound followed by a tickle on his face, caused Gallows to cease his argument with Roka and slap himself. A not so pleasant feeling of wetness dripped down his face and he brought his hand down, trying to discern what was splattered all over his palm.

" A fly…" whispered Gallows, shaking his hand so that the fly's carcass flitted down to the dirt covered floor. Gallows closed his eyes and wiped his hand on his jeans.

Another fly, obviously not to happy with his friends demise, rammed itself into Gallows' chest, causing Gallows to grunt and slap at it angrily.

"He…" the rest of Gallows' sentence was interrupted by the sight of a flicker of blue light coming toward him. Gallows wrapped his arms protectively across his chest, for some reason, that light made him feel cold.

Virginia grunted as she pushed a strand of sticky spider web from her face. To her surprise (and to a certain degree, concern) her trip through the floors of Simulacrum thus far were rather uneventful, and for some reason, that bothered her.

(It's almost like Gallows left a trail of emptiness in his wake.. Has he truly turned evil? NO! He's Gallows, he's too strong to fall into that sort of trap!…. What's making me think things like that?)

"Well, whatever it is, it needs to stop! I'm not going to fall for some dumb mind trick!" said Virginia out loud, hoping that whatever was around heard her. A snicker at the far end of the gaudy golden hall made her blood freeze and her heart skip a beat.

"So…" laughed the unknown entity with a snort "You're Gallows' love… Most impressive!"

Virginia started out of her stupor and narrowed her eyes, she hated things that talked big and yet were not visible for her to shoot.

"What if I am?" snapped Virginia, pulling out her guns and aiming them down the hallway.

"Now, now, there's no need for violence! I'm just a man with a mission! Hear me before you decide to fill me with holes." Laughed the entity as he took a couple of invisible steps toward her. Virginia nodded, put her guns away, and leaned against the golden wall, her arms crossed defiantly across her chest.

"Well now, I've got a message for you from the young priest. Do you wish to hear it?" asked the indiscernible specter. Virginia, quite confused with the lack of animosity in the specter's voice, shook her head dully, a thousand thoughts streaming though her head in a torrent.

(What kind of message? Is it really from him? Is he safe? What if..?)

"Umm.. excuse me…" cut the ghost into her thoughts impatiently. Virginia blinked and smiled apologetically, causing the aura around her to shift with confusion.

"I'm sorry, I was just lost in thought. What's the message?"

"Umm… It is right here…" stuttered the specter, his voice sounding more and more like Gallows'.

_"You just don't get it, do you? Nothing you have can compare to what's in my heart. Gella can buy a dozen roses but not true affection. A ring that seemingly holds power over a thousand worlds does not compare to the power that a certain woman holds over my being…"_ crackled Gallows' voice through the stagnant air, bringing both a warmth to Virginia's heart and a chill to her spine.

"He.. he said that?" mumbled Virginia, blushing a little as she did so. The specter grunted his acknowledgment and then coughed a little. Virginia blinked and smiled sheepishly. What else did he want?

"Yes?" asked Virginia politely, the smile falling slowly from her face.

"Where's my Gella?" whined the voice impatiently. All of the sudden, a bejeweled, disembodied, hand materialized out of thin air and extended greedily. Virginia gasped and took a couple of steps back.

"I'm sorry, I don't have any Gella with me at the moment.." responded Virginia apologetically. The disembodied hand closed itself into a fist and then disappeared, causing Virginia to once again draw her ARM. The Specter growled and then the space in front of her twisted and distorted, causing her to stumble back a little more.

"What is it with you people and having no Gella? I swear, the world must have turned poorer over the last couple of decades!" huffed the specter as the distortion shifted violently.

"Well, Gella is not that important anyway, so why don't you stop your pathetic whining!" snapped Virginia, spinning the guns around her fingers and then pointing them at the distortion.

"And GUNS! For the love of the Guardian Gods, why do you always want to point GUNS at folks? That's just rude in my opinion! I swear, you and Gallows are going to have some IGNORANT children! Just you wait, they're going to be in the poor house before.."

"Shut up! Who said that Gallows and I were going to have children?!" huffed Virginia, blushing violently. The entity laughed and then the distortion started to dissipate, throwing Virginia for a loop.

"No one did, I, Mammon, just made that assumption! See you around!" And with those words, Mammon faded away and went off to do whatever wayward spirits did after they got vanquished.

"Hmph! Me bearing Gallows' children?! What a load of bull!" snarled Virginia as she stomped toward the door at the end of the corridor, still blushing like mad.

He walked slowly toward the light, the Zanzir drawn and in his quaking hands. It was not so uncommon for the hallways to be dark, but for some reason, the darkness seemed more secretive and brooding and he wanted out of it.

"W-Who's there?" asked Gallows as he stopped a couple of yards from the light. The light waved impatiently and bounced away from him, filling him with a certain degree of annoyance.

"Hey! Where're are you going? I.." he didn't finish the sentence, on the account that he was now laying face first on the floor, his body draped over something soft and stiff. With a strangled cry, Gallows stood up quickly and looked down at the darkened, innate form on the floor.

"I'm sorry, I forgot to move him… I'll do it tomorrow.." sighed the light, swaying back and forth.

"Huh? Do what tomorrow?" inquired Gallows, looking up at the light. The light stopped swaying and turned red, causing Gallows to feel nauseous with fear.

"I'll scoop his body up TOMORROW, you doofus!" snarled the light, it's feminine voice becoming more definite now. Gallows shook his head dumbly, it normally was not wise to ask to many questions.

"I see.. " said Gallows slowly, trying his best not to anger the light.

"You do? Really?" laughed the light, fading back to a light blue.

(Hmm.. Her emotions are pretty easy to see.. I wish that all women were like that..)

__

Keep dreaming..

(Yeah.. I know…)

"So, what's your name?" asked Gallows warmly, sheathing the Zanzir and extending his hand.

"Raina.." she giggled, the light now glowing a darkish green.

"That's a very pretty name." Smiled Gallows, dropping his hand to his side after realizing that she was not going to shake it. The dark green light was now flecked with dark blue, and for some reason, Gallows knew that she was flattered and slightly embarrassed.

"Thank you! I'm quite fond of it myself, what, with it being my name and all!" laughed Raina heartily, causing the light to sway rapidly back and forth.

__

_Enough idle chit chat. I want answers and I want them NOW!_ And with that, Gallows all of the sudden felt light and Roka took the reins.

"What is it that you do here?" demanded Roka of Raina, making Gallows cringe at the possible results.

The dark green light flashed red and Roka was flung against the wall roughly.

"I scoop up the dead bodies that accumulate around here and _dispose_ of them" snapped Raina, putting a sharp emphasis on the word "dispose".

"I see… " mumbled Roka, pushing himself from the wall, ignoring the fact that his body had made an indention in the plaster.

"You sure are DUMB!" spat Raina, the light now floating right in front of him.

__

_Your turn.. _Roka gave control to Gallows and Gallows smiled at the burning red light sheepishly. Roka had a bad habit of starting trouble for Gallows.

"I'm sorry?" answered Gallows carefully, the Guardian's only KNEW what she was capable of…

"Hey! Wait a minute! Your soul is different now! How is it that you've got TWO souls?!" whined Raina, the light shaking violently. Gallows took a couple of steps back and held his hands up defensively.

"It's a long story.."

"Well, don't bother telling me it! I've got work to do!" snapped Raina, the light fading.

"Hey, please wait! Can you tell me how to.." Gallows' sentence tapered off when he saw that the light had completely faded and Raina's presence was no where to be found.

(Damn, I guess we'll have to proceed without light..)

__

Fool, use your head! Make a torch and use Moor…

(With what materials? Are you expecting me to just MATERIALIZE these things? )

__

Why don't you just use an arm from one of the LOVELY corpses scattered around here? I'm sure they would not mind. Seeing that they are dead and all…

(You're sick, I'm NOT going to use an arm as a torch! )

__

Then you rather walk around in this oppressive darkness? Because that is what you are implying us do..

(…. I can't do it, that's defacing a human being and…)

__

Fine.. I will do it..

Gallows once again felt his spirit being pushed back into the proverbial back seat and Roka bent down and blindly pawed at the body for the soon to be torch.

(Why am I allowing him to do this? It goes against everything that I believe in! Everything!)

Gallows cringed when he heard Roka ripping the corpses arm out of socket and then pulling it off with a wet yank.

(Nice Roka, I'm sure he didn't feel a thing..)

__

_Of course not, he's dead. _Was Roka's response.

Roka was now holding up a partially decomposed arm, smiling a little as he did so. Gallows felt his stomach lurch and he had to fight the urge to vomit.

__

Now, all I've got to do is strip a piece of cloth from his shirt and…

"Give it back…." Rasped a voice from the floor, startling both Gallows and Roka to a certain degree.

Gallows was once again in control of his body, and out of instinct, threw the arm down in disgust.

"Thank you…" rasped the voice as bony fingers wrapped themselves around Gallows' ankle.

"ACK!" exclaimed Gallows, kicking at the hand as hard as he could.

"Opps, sorry, I thought that was my arm…"

"It's okay… Sorry I kicked you." Sighed Gallows, looking at the darkened corpse.

"Not a problem, but I would appreciate it if you would refrain from stealing my body parts.."

"Umm, not to be rude or anything, but, aren't you dead?" inquired Gallows, readying himself for anything.

The corpse sighed and then laughed a little.

"Well, yes, I am dead. But that doesn't mean that I _like_ to have my parts picked from me…"

(I'm talking to a corpse.. I wonder why I don't find this in the least bit strange?)

"I'm sorry, I guess that WAS a rather dumb question…"

"Not at all, you were curious. Now.." the corpse stood up with a grunt and started to walk away. " If you'll excuse me, I've got to talk to the boss about disposing of me properly. They sure have been moving slow the last couple of years…"

__

Well, there goes our torch! I hope you're happy now you-

"The hallway is starting to light up.." whispered Gallows as he saw the far end of the hallway light up with a soft glow.

A pleasant humming sound followed the light and Gallows unsheathed the Zanzir and held it out in front of him hesitantly, he didn't like violence, but at the same time, he cherished his life.

The light was almost to him now, and the same cold that he felt when he saw "Raina" was nipping at him again. It felt like some one was shoving an iced over poker into his spine and moving it around.

"Well now, we have a live one!" Laughed a male's voice cheerfully as the cool light covered Gallows and crept passed him. Gallows smiled as warmly as he could and then laughed.

" I certainly hope so!"

"Well then, I'm sure that you would like to have some light so that you can see! I hope this is enough!"

Gallows was about to answer in a positive manner when he spotted the eye less corpse on the floor, a drove of flies feasting on their apparently delicious meal.

"Wha-What's up with THAT?!" shuddered Gallows, pointing down to the corpse. There was a sharp laugh and all of the sudden Gallows was looking into a pair of yellow eyes. Startled, he stumbled back and took a good look at his newest guest. It was an elderly man, perhaps in his late fifties, with thinning black hair and a face that was wrinkled with time and laughter.

"Why, that's Alic I believe! Poor man, he was attacked by those ferocious Aello's and.. Well, you see the results.." said the pale faced old man, closing his bright yellow eyes and shaking his head slowly.

"I see.. So, why is he still here in the hallway?" inquired Gallows, looking back down at the corpse pitifully. The yellow eyed man opened his eyes and a small but caustic smile crossed his aged face.

"Do you really think that we want to put forth that kind of effort? Besides, someone will get around to it eventually…" quipped the man, rotating his hand at the wrist to emphasize his point.

"Judging by the looks of it, you have a lot of procrastinators…" sighed Gallows, looking down the hallway at the other corpses . The man stepped in front of him and scowled.

"Look, if you just came here to insult my crew and myself then LEAVE, I really don't have the time for you! I should just take the light with me when I go!"

Gallows sighed and rubbed his temples, his already shot patience was starting to ebb a little more.

"Listen, I just want to get to the next floor without any problems. Is that to much to ask?"

The old man thought on Gallows' question and then smiled and held out his hand amiably.

"My name is Tābificus, pleased to meet you." Laughed Tābificus, as he took Gallows' hand into his own and shook it as hard as he could. Gallows smiled, and after a couple of seconds of shaking Tābificus' hand, pulled his own hand away slowly and dropped it down to his side.

"My name is Gallows and the pleasure is all mine."

"Well, since we're friends now, shall we be on our way?"

__

_("Gallows? You're… a friend?")_ Gallows shook that haunting thought away and followed Tābificus down the corpse littered hall.

"I'm sure you'll love the boss, she's full of energy and ALWAYS so witty!" gushed the old man as he opened a door into what seemed to be a void. Gallows blinked as a sudden flash of light invaded his eyes. Tābificus chuckled at Gallows' response and then disappeared, leaving Gallows with whatever was through that door.

"Come in, child, there is no need to stand out there where it is damp and unpleasant" came a comely voice from the light. Gallows shielded his eyes and slowly walked into the room, triggering the door to slam behind him. The light faded, and on a thrown of silver sat a beautiful woman . Her silver hair was pulled away from her slender, pale face into an orderly bun, and her mercury colored eyes studied Gallows intently. Gallows bowed politely to her and she laughed.

"My, what a gentleman! You do not see many of those!"

Gallows straightened up, a ghost of a smile crossing his face.

"I'm sorry to hear that, ma'am, young people are really shameful these days."

__

_Ah, and there goes the _ _pot calling the kettle black! _

"Yes… So, what is it that you need?" inquired the beautiful woman, crossing her legs and looking at Gallows quizzically.

(Her eyes are captivating.. I think there's a reason for that) Gallows broke the woman's gaze by looking at the ground and shuffling his feet.

"I need to get to the next floor, and I need to do this quickly.." answered Gallows quietly, stopping his foot and looking up at the woman intently. The woman laughed, picked up a wine glass from the table beside her, and held out in front of her, causing the red wine to slosh around within the crystalline depths.

" Now why would you want to do that? This place is so much NICER than the next floor." Giggled the woman, taking a drink from the glass and then setting it down beside her on the table.

"It's nothing against you or this floor.."

(Save the fact that there are corpses littering the floors…)

The woman's smile dropped from her face and she stood up, now glancing down at Gallows sharply.

"I can't let you go to the next floor yet! I need some more energy!" snapped the woman, walking down the steps toward him. Gallows took a couple of steps back and unsheathed the Zanzir, startling the woman to a certain extent.

"Don't be so quick to judge. I'm not going to become one of those mindless, lazy zombies OR an eye less corpse. There's a reason that all the people here are lazy and the corpses have not been disposed of, isn't there?" rasped Gallows, digging the Zanzir into the floor angrily and glaring at her. The woman hissed at him and reached her hand out quickly to slap him. Gallows saw this movement and caught her hand inches away from his face, extracting another exasperated hiss from her.

"How DARE you treat the great Hirūdō this way!" snarled Hirūdō, pulling her hand roughly from Gallows'

"Listen, Hirūdō, I mean no disrespect, and if you want to leech life from the poor people here, that's your business. But I really need to get to the next floor without putting up with all of this drama…" spat Gallows, pulling the Zanzir from the floor and resting it on his shoulder menacingly.

Hirūdō closed her eyes and shook her head slowly from side to side.

"Do you really think that you scare me? Come off of it, succumb to the peace that can be found only through me!" Shrieked Hirūdō, rushing at Gallows at top speed.

"You talk to damn much!" growled Gallows, dodging her rush and swinging the sword in a side swiping motion. With a grunt, Hirūdō faced the swing, grabbed the sword by its blade, and yanked it toward her, knocking Gallows off balance and making him fall toward her.

"Damn!" exclaimed Gallows, trying his best to pull the Zanzir from the specter's incredibly strong grip.

"Give it up!" She hissed as she gave the Zanzir another tug. Gallows was starting to get worried, the Zanzir was incredibly sharp, and yet it was not cutting her perfectly manicured hands at all.

"I'm sorry, I must graciously decline…" growled Gallows, as he engaged the woman in a game of tug -of-war. He felt his heart drop into his feet when he felt his energy, along with the energy from the sword ,drain from their vessels and into the woman.

"You can not resist for ever!" screamed Hirūdō, as she continued to drain both Gallows and the Zanzir of their energies. He felt his knees start to buckle and all of the sudden he felt the urge to fall asleep on the spot. With a cry of exasperation, he started to sink to the ground, feeling as his feet started to grow numb.

(If this keeps up.. I might…)

"NO!" screamed Gallows, not even recognizing his own voice. With a curse, he threw his weight back, hence knocking the woman off balance and causing her to loosen the grip on the blade to regain her balance. Hirūdō, realizing her mistake and Gallows' plan a moment to late, let go of the sword with an angry gasp.

"You!" She screeched, as a silver aura flared around her. Gallows groaned and shielded his eyes with his free hand whilst the Zanzir hung loosely in the other.

(Damn, I've got to find a way NOT to be blinded… ! Wait… The Zanzir has a reflective surface, so if I were to…)

The rest of his sentence was cut off by the Hirūdō's cold hands on his face and her dry lips pressed against his. Gallows' eyes narrowed and he tried to pull away, disgusted by the woman's seemingly lecherous ways.

"Give up… Just relax…" came her calm voice into his head. Gallows' eyes dilated and then went blank, his hand loosing its grip on the Zanzir.

(I can finally rest.. I can… rest…)

She deepened the kiss and reached for the Zanzir slowly as not to attract Gallows' attention.

She reached her hand out to him, her pure white dress flowing gracefully around her, a kind smile on her face. Gallows wanted so much to walk over to her and embrace her, to keep her safe. But… With a frown, he tried to move and discovered that he could not. He looked back up in a state of panic and gasped. Behind the beautiful maiden stood a dark demon with fangs of blood and venom. He wanted to cry out her name, to warn her of the demon that stood so close behind her.

(Virginia.. look behind you…)

Her smile got bigger and she took a step toward him, her hand still extended.

"Gallows, you're so silly! Where have you been hiding this whole time?!" laughed Virginia, moving her hands gracefully to her hips and giving him a false scowl.

(Please.. for the love of Luceid.. TURN AROUND!)

Virginia stopped and gave him a concerned look, her eyes losing their kind sparkle.

"Gallows…What's wrong?"

The demon reached out and grabbed Virginia, causing Gallows to expel a silent scream.

"VIRGINIA!" screamed Gallows, his eyes regaining their emotion, the pupils returning back to normal.

"What?" snapped Hirūdō after pulling away from Gallows with a look of rage swirling in her mercurial eyes. Gallows spat on the ground, relinquished his grip on the Zanzir, and wiped his mouth with his quaking free hand in a gesture of disgust.

"You BITCH! How dare you TOUCH me!" growled Gallows, holding the sword an arms length away from him, the sharp edge of the blade almost brushing his livid face.

"But.. but.. HOW! I almost had all of your energy AND the Zanzir's!" she stuttered as she toppled back. Gallows smiled, his teal eyes tingeing with black.

(What the hell..? Why do I feel so out of control? … And why am I LIKING it?!)

"You seem to forget, you're not messing with just Gallows.. you're fucking with the whole damn crew!" spat Gallows, his voice deepening as soon as he reached the word "You're".

"We shall see how well you fare!" she snarled holding both of her hands out in front of her, her palms extended toward the high vaulted ceiling. A flash of light forced Gallows to shut his eyes and temporarily lower the Zanzir down in front of him. When the light dimmed, the silver hair woman that he had encountered just moments before was gone, replaced by a slender, silver colored demon.

"So, Gallows… You think you can defeat me with that weakened body and pathetic sword?" snarled the mercury eyed demon, reaching behind her and pulling out a silver Naginata that apparently had been strapped to her back.

"I sure as hell can try!" snapped Gallows, holding the Zanzir with both hands and glaring at Hirūdō menacingly. Hirūdō howled with rage and spun the Naginata over her head quickly, making it appear to be nothing but a wheel of silver.

"DIE!" she snarled, thrusting the Naginata at Gallows' head. Gallows moved his head to the side and hit the Naginata with the Zanzir as hard as he could, causing both the Naginata and the Zanzir to reverberate violently. The silver demon snarled and brought the Naginata in front of her.

"I'm afraid that I can't do that, my demonic friend, for you see, I have something to.." the flash of the Naginata closing in on his abdomen silenced him and caused him to jump back with a snarl.

"Shut up and DIE!" snarled Hirūdō as she brought the Naginata over her head and then arced it toward Gallows neck. Gallows smiled, dodged the attack with speed that didn't seem to be his own, and hit the Naginata's blade, knocking the female demon off balance and sending her hurtling to the ground with a surprise cry. Gallows closed his eyes and gracefully swung the sword in an over the head diagonal slash, severing the demon's head from her shoulders before she got the chance to scream

"It ends now, you will no longer cause the sprits to dwell in their own rot… Die, you bitch.." Gallows said evenly, his voice showing no hint of emotion as he watched the demon's blood flood over his shoes and soak the bottom of his pants. With a grunt, Gallows sheathed the Zanzir and walked out the door, unmindful of the glimmering auras of thankful spirits that had been bound by their supposed "caretakers" slothful ways.

**_As I walked, I saw the spirits of the damned, eternally chasing a shadow that they could never catch. I looked at my guide and asked him what transgression had these men committed to be bound to such a fate. My guide simply frowned and shook his head sadly._**

**_"They have committed the sin of sloth, therefore they will be chasing the shadows of what might have been for the rest of their unnatural lives."_**


	14. Chapter 8 Floor 7: Invidia

**__**

Chapter 8: Floor 7

Invidia

Before you grieve over what you do not have, look in the mirror and celebrate what you do.

Gallows reached the top of the stairwell, somewhat out of breath. This fact troubled him because, although he was a bigger guy, he still considered himself to be in stellar shape.

"Roka.. The air is a lot thicker up here, why is that?" queried Gallows as he reached blindly out in front of him and touched a smooth, cool, surface.

(Another door… But it feels different.. and..) He moved his hand slowly down to where he thought that the door knob should be and found nothing. (There's no doorknob… How am I going to open this door?)

__

I think the more oppressive the sin, the heavier your heart gets… And as for the door, has **pushing** ever occurred to you? You really are helpless….

Gallows smacked his forehead and pushed gently on the door, thankfully, there was no shriek this time as the door eased open and Gallows walked into the next room.

Dim blue light oozed from the sides of the floor and the wall of mirrors blinked tranquilly in the dancing light. Gallows shivered as he walked slowly down the corridor, his heart skipping a beat every time he saw his reflection in the mirrors. Experience had taught him that it was rather unwise to rush through the unknown. But still, had he a choice, and if he knew that he could run without a danger, he would have done so. Gallows stopped short when he saw a set of glowing red eyes up ahead of him. His mind screamed for him to run, while his heart did a frantic dance within his heaving chest.

"Who's there?" came Gallows' voice from his trembling lips.

"Who's there?" repeated voices from the mirrors to either side of him. Gallows jumped back and looked frantically to his left and right, his jagged breath puffing out in ghostly clouds. He directed his attention back in front of him and noted that the red eyes were now gone.

(What is going on? Why am I scared of my own reflection?)

A sharp female laugh from behind him slapped him out of his reverie and he turned around so that he faced the sound, his lungs on fire, a stream of mist flowing from his cold lips.

(That laugh.. it sounds so familiar.. and yet…)

"Gallows, you are so DUMB! No wonder Halle sent you on this journey, she wanted to get rid of you!" laughed the voice, sounding more and more like Virginia every second. Gallows blinked and fought the urge to draw the Zanzir, he didn't want to jump the gun and make things worse. The mirror to his right fogged up and then glowed a little brighter than the room, drawing Gallows' complete attention toward it. Gallows watched in horror as he saw Virginia step up to the other side of the mirror, a wicked smile on her pretty face. For some reason he felt his heart drop to his feet and the ability to speak abandoned him.

"Gallows, you know that things will not work out between us…" she chided, as she turned toward the abyss of reflections and held out her hand longingly, her pink dress flowing softly in an ephemeral breeze. Jet stepped out of the fog behind her and took her hand and walked up next her, scoffing at Gallows the whole time. Gallows felt a tinge of jealousy claw its way though him as he watched the two hold hands.

Gallows clenched his hands into tight fist and bit his lip, causing a thin line of blood to trickle down his chin and onto his chest. He knew in his heart that this was an illusion, but his mind screamed its indifference in an insane screech that seemingly shadowed the reason in his heart.

(Get away from her, you sulky little punk! You don't deserve her! She deserves an angel, not YOU!)

__

Jet IS an angel of sorts.. He is the key to unlocking Filgaia's fertility..

****

(Gallows, please listen to me! That's not really them! Virginia would NOT say something like that!)

She loves Jet a lot more… You can tell by the way that she looks at him that she lust after him….

The rest of the argument was drowned out by Gallows' howl of fury as he unsheathed his dagger and slammed the butt of it against the now kissing couple in the mirror. The mirror shattered into sharp little fragments and peppered his working face with glowing shards of cold glass.

Gallows' chest heaved as he sheathed the blade and dropped his arms limply to his side, a tear of agony dripping down his face and mingling with the tiny streams of blood that were issuing from the multiple cuts. He closed his eyes half way and bowed his head shamefully, allowing the tiny droplets of blood to drip soundlessly onto the glittering remains of the mirror.

(Lost…I lost it… "It" won…. My insanity won…..but…) Gallows opened his gleaming eyes all the way and stared at the now shattered mirror, a look of determination staring back at him from the cracked and darkened depths.

"I will NOT lose again…" stated Gallows, his voice piercing the silence like a gunshot.

"_My… aren't we the brave one.." _laughed a feminine voice from behind him. Gallows closed his eyes stubbornly and a smile of superiority crossed his now blood caked face.

" Actually, I am brave, thanks for reiterating that." Snickered Gallows as he opened his eyes and turned toward the voice quickly, his eyes glittering with his new found courage.

( There is nothing here…) Thought Gallows when his eyes met with an empty, glowing hallway.

"Why don' t you be brave and show your face?" simpered Gallows as he clenched and unclenched his fist with anticipation. The voice laughed bitingly and the mirror to his left glowed an eerie red and then seemingly melted from the frame, startling Gallows to a certain extent.

Gallows looked down and watched as the puddle of glass shifted and then slowly formed into a slender, nude, woman, her body reflecting every bend and shift of the light.

"_ My name is Senbō, well met, Gallows, the Fasi Mais…"_ chortled the crystalline woman in a bell like voice. Gallows took a couple of steps back and glared at her menacingly.

"Senbō! What is the meaning of all of this?!" snarled Gallows, reaching for his Zanzir. Senbō laughed and shook her head from side to side, seemingly amused at Gallows' question.

"_I want you to see what you are missing. I want you to LOATHE those bastards that deprive you of the things that you love and desire!" _snarled Senbō, her unblinking eyes flaring with red light.

"What I'm missing? What I love and desire? Senbō, I hate to tell you this, but I have what I love and desire waiting for me. There is no need for me to loathe anything or anyone. Do you understand me?" Gallows replied as he dropped his hand cautiously to his side and glared at Senbō.

_"But there is so much that you have forgotten! So much that you have pushed back into the recesses of your own heart and soul! Gallows! Remember all of the things that you do not have! Remember and grieve! Grieve for your lost childhood, grieve for Kasinna and your lost love!" _cried Senbō passionately, the red of her eyes fading to a soft blue color. Gallows closed his eyes, trying to avoid the woman's gaze. He knew what she was trying to do, and he was not going to allow it.

" I have already fought the demons of my past, so, I have no reason to grieve. Lost love? I'm sorry, but if you think that the images you showed me left a scar on me, you are very wrong. I know where my love lies, and it does not lie within the depths of memory or grief…"

__

_"Then why did you bust the mirror, hm? Don't lie and tell me that it's a custom or something…"_ giggled Senbō as she shook her head back and forth with disbelief.

"I will not lie and say that it had no effect on me, quite the opposite actually, it had a HUGE effect on me. In fact, it made me so jealous that I couldn't stand it…. However, it took only a moment for me to realize that it was all just a trick… a very UGLY trick. Senbō, I will NOT make the same mistake twice! Come! You know what you and I are fated to do!" spat Gallows as he unsheathed the Zanzir and held it in front of him shakily."

Senbō laughed and melted back into a puddle of liquid glass, causing Gallows' eyes to narrow and his mind to focus. He had a feeling that she was a '_Tsifreh_' or a shape-shifting demon and that he had to keep on his toes if he was to defeat her.

The light in the hallway dimmed so that he could only see a couple of feet in to all sides of him, and that made him uneasy.

"_You talk big, now let's see if you act as big as you talk!"_ laughed the Tsifreh in the distance. Gallows lowered the sword to his side and looked around nervously.

"Why not fight me head on? Are you a coward?" spat Gallows, letting his eyes fall on a fleeting red fog that sprung through a mirror to his far right.

"_Not at all! I just like to play with my quarry before I devour their soul!" _ she laughed as she appeared in the mirror directly to left side of him, causing Gallows to stumble to his right.

(I'm breaking the mirrors, she can't get me if she has no way to commute…)

With that, Gallows bellowed loudly and drove the Zanzir into the ground, creating a shock wave similar to the one that he performed against Mammon.

The sound of mirrors breaking reverberated down the hall and the two mirrors beside Gallows exploded and showered him with even more glass and debris. He did not feel pain, nor did he feel the small rivers of life run down his face, all he felt was exhilaration and anger. Senbō laughed with amusement as Gallows pulled the sword from the ground and rested the blade on his shoulder.

(What is she laughing about? )

__

"Do you really think that worked to your benefit? You really ARE an idiot!"

"What?!" exclaimed Gallows as he saw a red., hazy, form phase out of the azure darkness and then phase slowly back into it. He brought his sword back over his shoulder and held it loosely to his side.

"_You can not beat me! Your journey ends HERE!" _laughed Senbō maniacally as the red form materialized slowly in front of him, it's arms outstretched menacingly.

"Augh!" cried Gallows as he stumbled out of its reach, waving the sword somewhat frantically in front of him as he did so. Laughing gleefully, the form phased out right before the tips of its fingers touched Gallows' face.

"_Why don't you just submit to your jealousy? It'll save your sanity if you do_…" laughed Senbō as the red form appeared to his side.

(Just an illusion… She's trying to ebb away at my sanity.. But, it will not work! I know that "fog" is not Senbō… The true enemy lies at the end of the corridor… Waiting for me ..)

"Leave me ALONE!" snarled Gallows as he swung the Zanzir at the fleeting form.

" Lsja… mios…. MEIES!" snarled the form as it reappeared in front of him and reached a misty hand

through his stomach. Gallows let out a gurgled scream as a fountain of blood poured from his mouth. The mist had yanked a rib from his frame and punctured one of his lungs with it.

"Tnaata... YSARLLD!" coughed Gallows as he fell to his knees, holding his ribs in pain.

"_I told you that this was the end! Why did you insist on fighting anyway?" _replied Senbō, a hint of compassion intertwined within her harsh words.

"Be..cause…" whispered Gallows, as he coughed up some more blood. "I wanted.. to… see…" He dug the Zanzir into the ground with fleeting strength and looked down the hallway.

The red mist bent its head down and that was when Gallows noticed that it had no face. "Mios…Meies…." Growled the creature, reaching down for the young Baskar's skull.

"N-NO!" Gallows howled, rising to his feet quickly, unmindful of the hellish flames that erupted within his chest. The creature stumbled back in surprise and Gallows screeched words that did not even make sense.

"_My, your resolve is strong, I admire that! Gallows, if you can defeat this creature of Envy, then you may stand a chance against me!"_

"Fool…"Coughed Gallows, as he straightened himself up, using the sword as a cane.

"I'm not fighting for myself… or for you…." Gallows' eyes glowed red and his body started to shake.

"_W-What is going on?" _stuttered Senbō as she watched Gallows' eyes leave red tracers as he bowed his head in fury and agony. The Creature of Envy, frightened by its circumstances, backed up even more, its dents widening every second that he watched Gallows.

"Furcifer Nēnia!" bellowed Gallows, lifting the sword to the heavens, swaying a bit as he did.

"Mios…" Before he could finish, a bird composed of shadow energy erupted from the floor and flew straight up and through The Creature of Envy. Gallows smiled a little and fell down hard to his knees, his breath coming in painful and uneven puffs.

"Cma… Uns…" whispered the mist as if slowly fell in half and evaporated.

"You're welcome.." gurgled Gallows as he doubled over and spat out more blood. Gallows laughed a little, wiping the blood from his lips as he straightened up.

"Well, I guess it is just you and I now…" laughed Gallows, letting his fingers flow down the metal pommel and onto the cold floor. He had spent enough time dawdling, now was the time to finish this.

__

_"You think you can beat me?" _scoffed Senbō from the down the hall. Gallows smirk spread into a full blown smile and he laughed maniacally.

"I don't THINK I can, I KNOW that I can! Prepare yourself, you cold hearted BITCH!" snarled Gallows as he stood up and raised the sword up horizontally, making it parallel to his scared up abdomen.

__

"I will not be a push over like Ruberumbra!"

"Nor do I expect you to be.. Heal!" shouted Gallows, taking out Schturdark's Medium with his free hand and holding it shakily above his head.

A feeling of warmth flowed through him and his breath came at normal intervals now.

(The heal spell took care of my lungs.. but… My rib is still broken.. Oh well, I just need to be careful..)

__

(Just so you know, the word "careful" rarely is used in the dictionary of war… Why don't you make a small air pocket between the rib and your lung? Just remember, you don't want to make the air bubble to big, otherwise it will hinder the movement of your lungs…)

Gallows nodded, put Schturdark's Medium away and pulled out Fengalon's.

Gallows felt his spirit be pushed back, not by Roka, but by Rsalis.

**__**

(**_Fengalon! Hear my plea! Aid my friend in this battle!)_**

A strange feeling in Gallows' gut caused him to nearly drop the Zanzir and laugh loudly.

(**_That should do it! Gallows, be careful, just disregard what Roka says, he's an idiot..)_**

"All right.." said Gallows, popping his neck from one side to another.

__

"I'm waiting for you at the end of the corridor.. Come when you are ready.."

Gallows nodded and proceeded down the hallway at a rather quick pace, he wanted to get this over with.

"Show yourself…" growled Gallows, once again positioning the sword horizontally in front of his stomach.

The space in front of him rippled and then seemingly imploded, startling Gallows a bit.

"_I am here… Fight me, Gallows Carradine._." whispered the distortion. Gallows nodded and swung the sword in a wide arch in front of him, temporarily cutting the distortion in two, however, this was a short lived victory as the void just melted back together.

"So tell me, how does it feel to be devoured by envy? To live each day knowing that you are trapped within that void on shallowness?" snarled Gallows as he thrust the sword toward the Voids middle.

"_S-Shut UP_!" snarled Senbō, causing the void to ripple violently.

"I will NOT! I know that, in the end, envy kills the envious! It doesn't take a scientist to figure THAT out!" spat Gallows as he sheathed the Zanzir.

__

Fool, what are you DOING?!

Gallows' eyes narrowed and he straightened his back with both pride and confidence.

(I'm bringing out the real Senbō! Don't you see? The void is just a representation of her envy! Envy sucks you in with false hopes! It promises you what you envy the most.. But… In the end…)

"YOU ARE NOTHING BUT A PUPPET! SHOW YOURSELF, SENBŌ!" and with those words spat, a pale hand reached out from the void and tried to grab Gallows. Gallows handily dodge the hand, unsheathed the Zanzir, and gracefully lobbed off the hand. Senbō screeched and the void flickered.

__

_"How DARE you call me a puppet! YOU FREAK!" _The void started to form arms and Gallows nonchalantly cut them and half and took another step forward, feeling the void tug at him hungrily.

"It's true, you are nothing but a puppet and Envy is the Puppet master! Admit, Senbō, you are weak! Come out of that little shell and FIGHT me!" barked Gallows, dodging another arm with irritation and taking another step forward, feeling his hair whip around his face and neck.

__

_"You want to see who I TRULY am?!" _spat Senbō as the void slowly flickered and then faded.

"That would be the basic idea…" muttered Gallows with irritation, unsheathing the Zanzir and preparing himself for anything. The glass at his feet slow inched together, fused, and then began to form the same glass woman that Gallows had initially met.

__

_" I am not as fragile as I look…" _laughed Senbō mirthfully, holding out her hand in a beckoning manner. _"Quite the opposite.. You see, when I died, I was envious of both strength and beauty, so, Simulacrum granted me both of these things. Isn't it wonderful, Gallows? I've acquired all of this with no effort on my part.." _She dropped her hand back down to her side, noticing that Gallows was not moved.

"Be that as it may, the fact remains that you took something and cheapened the value of it. I may not be the brightest man, nor do I claim to be. Sure, sometimes I wish that I had Clive's brain or Jet's looks, but then I remember that it would just cheapen who I am… You, Senbō, are living in a world of delusions… and.." Gallows positioned the Zanzir into a thrusting position and smiled menacingly. "It is my job to set you free.. Like it or not.."

Senbō clapped her crystalline hands, causing a sound similar to a glass bell to bounce down the hallway. Gallows' smile faded and Senbō ceased her clapping , a sharp smile carving itself into her face.

"Enough chit chat, Gallows, I am getting bored and it seems to be way past my bedtime.." she brought her arms out in front of her and bent her wrists so that her hands pointed down in almost a perfect right degree angle. Gallows blinked and raised the sword in an uncertain manner.

__

Mantis style.. Switch to a quicker stance, otherwise she'll take you out with one blow..

Gallows nodded and switched to the quicker, but somewhat less effective position. He threw the sword to his strong hand and threw himself slightly off balance with a series of well timed sways.

__

_"You may actually provide me a CHALLENGE_!" with that, she lunged toward him and punched a blade like hand at his chest. With a grunt, Gallows dodged and brought the butt of the Zanzir down hard onto her still moving hand. Senbō snarled and shot her hand back toward her body, only to send her opposite hand toward Gallows throat, which he avoided and countered with short slash to her arm. She screamed as the Zanzir chipped a huge chunk from her shoulder and she started to bleed a clear liquid.

_"That's impossible! No one has EVER been able to damage me! What kind of weapon do you wield? Surely it is not of this world!"_ screamed Senbō she jumped back and aimed a flying quick at Gallows' chest. Gallows blocked her knifed foot with his sword and pushed his body weight forward, causing Senbō to fly backwards and land gracefully back on her feet. Gallows was getting annoyed now, she was actually making him break a sweat..

"My weapon is the Zanzir… " huffed Gallows as he brought the sword up above his head like one would a sledge hammer. Senbō narrowed her eyes and attempted to sweep him off his feet by swinging her semi-tensed shin at his ankle, Gallows laughed, jumped up in the air and brought his full weight down onto her still outstretched leg, successfully breaking it in two and causing her to scream in pain.

__

_"You…you BASTARD!"_ she huffed as she looked up at him. He had literally broken her leg off, making it nearly impossible for her to get up and fight.

"Listen, I can either kill you… or set you free… Choose one and choose it quickly." Snapped Gallows, resting the Zanzir against her throat. Senbō closed her eyes and Gallows watched as a tear slid down her crystalline face. Gallows' hardened face fell into a look of compassion and he knelt down next to her, wiping the tear from her face gently. This kind act caused the woman to open her eyes and look at Gallows with confusion. Gallows stood up slowly and looked down at her, his eyes still reflecting the compassion that he felt. The broken woman raised herself to her elbows and smiled gently, her tears tracing lines of flesh as they fell.

__

_" You have set me free… It was my curse not to feel sorrow or love.. I was cursed because I envied to many things with a passion.. I was told, that in order to be strong, I must become an unfeeling monster.. and, in order for me to be beautiful I must be made of something that is precious… Gallows.."_ she laid back down and stared up at the ceiling, her shining body slowly turning into flesh. Gallows respectfully adverted his eyes and looked down at his shoes. Senbō laughed a little and then started to cough, causing Gallows to instinctually look at her. Senbō's once glimmering hair was now solid black and her once crystal clear flesh was now pale and sickly, she was dying and she knew it. Gallows shut his eyes tightly and looked away, not wanting to see her pass away. Senbō, noting the young Baskar's response, laughed once again and threw a piece of glass to catch his attention. Gallows turned around and blinked at her, trying to figure out what she wanted.

__

_"Gallows.. I want to be buried in a dress… But…" _ she looked around mournfully and closed her eyes. "_It appears that I do not have one.. I threw all my clothing away when I convinced my self that I was too beautiful for it."_

Gallows thought on this for a moment and then snapped his fingers.

(Rsalis, please ask the Guardian's for a special favor… Make Senbō a dress of diamond…)

(**_I'll see what I can do. I am sure that it will not be too much trouble.)_**

It only took a second for the decision to be made. A strong wind blew through the hallway, picking up the shards of diamond glass while avoiding both Gallows and Senbō.

"_What is going on? Gallows, where is that wind coming from?"_

" What then, is that wind from the door?…" whispered Gallows as he watched the wind weave the now hot pieces of crystal together into a beautiful dress.

"_Gallows.. It's beautiful…" _she whispered, tears once again running down her face. Gallows simply bowed, draped the dress around her and walked away in silence, listening calmly as she took her last breath.

Here are the translations:

Fasi mais Fated son

Tsifreh shifter (as in shape shifter)

" Lsja...mios...MEIES!" "Leave...in....PEACE!"

"Cma..Uns" "Thank..You"

Furcifer Nenia Gallows Bird Dirge


	15. Chapter 8 Floor 8: Ira

**__**

Chapter 8: Floor 8

Ira

__

_Anger, like the flames of hell, ebb and devour ones sanity… We all must learn that anger is the catalyst for destruction and the harbinger of despair…_

As soon as he crested the stairs, he stopped and looked down the torch lit corridor with caution. He knew that if an attack were to be initiated, chances were, it would be set up in the narrow corridors. He scanned the hallway with a cursory glance and then proceeded slowly down the passage. Although his eyes registered no threat, his body was still on high alert, for he knew that in Simulacrum, what you DIDN'T see presented a problem. The huge, wooden door at the hallway loomed ever closer as Gallows' feet shuffled reluctantly toward it. The young Baskar was not to fond of the fact that he seemingly had no control over his hurried pace, in fact, if truth be told, the discomfort that he felt was truly unnerving.

"Hey Roka, I think this is the last floor.. Do you think that we can leave once we finish here?" mused Gallows quietly. He was not to content with the silence that followed his query.

(Damn it, since when have you NOT had something smart to say?)

The demon still did not respond to his son, so Gallows dropped the subject.

(I really don't like what I'm feeling from that door… It feels cold, like someone's put an ice cube down my shirt… I really hate this place…)

_Well, the sooner you go through that door, the sooner this will all be over…_

Gallows stopped abruptly and squeezed his eyes shut angrily.

(And tell me, what difference would it make one way or the other? Hm? You're planning on offing me once this is all over, so why should I listen to your encouragement? More accurately, why should I listen to you? Roka, your way of thinking is nothing short of incredibly selfish…)

__

You know, I feel that your ranting does not even deserve a comment, and if truth be told, yes, I'm planning on killing you, but that should not restrain you from going through that door. In fact, I would think that you would desire to face whatever is there so you can face off against me!

Gallows said nothing but the expression in his eyes spoke of the horror that he and Rsalis shared. How did Roka find out?! Gallows did not say a word as he started to walk again, his mind spinning a hundred thoughts and his heart beating seemingly a thousand beats a second.

(Through this door lies another challenge.. and then… )

Gallows thoughts switched off as soon his trembling fingers made contact with the huge wooden door. The warped, carved frame felt dry and hot under his sweating palms, and he really didn't want to know why that was. He really didn't care much for the feeling of a spiritual antipode.

__

Open the door, we have no time to lose.. Beyond that door lies our destiny.

"… Destiny.." mumbled Gallows as he pressed his hand against the door and gave the door a hard shove. The door opened without a sound and Gallows gazed into the darkness.

(The darkness can hold salvation or damnation.. Which path do I choose and is it even really my choice?)

****

(Gallows, don't act so helpless, you know what you are capable of)

(I know.. but I still can't help but feel like I'm just a spectator to a very twisted game…)

****

(…..)

The first thing that Gallows saw when his eyes adjusted to the darkness was a pile of something in the middle of the room and he felt a burning ball of fear form in his stomach.

__

_MOVE IT! We do not have.. _ Roka was interrupted by a gale of insane laughter followed by a series of loud gun reports. The space several feet in front of Gallows exploded in a bright burst of bluish light and Gallows instinctively fell back and shielded his eyes.

"W-what?!" stuttered Gallows as he removed his defending arm from his eyes.

There was another wave of insane laughter and then silence, Gallows did not know how to feel about the silence, it was somewhat of a relief and fairly terrifying.

"You walked into the darkness only to find the true light. Welcome Gallows…" said a voice that sounded frighteningly like his own. The room flickered with blood red light in a rapid cadence, causing the shadows on the wall to move in seemingly slow motion.

(Shadow, shadow, on the wall, perhaps you are not a shadow at all….)

"Welcome to my world, Gallows Carradine, do you feel alive..? " said that VOICE!

Gallows did not know how to respond to this question, for one, he was somewhat disturbed that he possibly could be talking to him self, and secondly he honestly didn't know how to answer it.

(Do I really feel alive? I feel as if everything is so clear now. Halle made my life a living hell.. She sent me on a suicide mission. She's my poison… And so is the rest of them! Virginia, Jet, and Clive! They're all against me! They all need to DIE!) as Gallows thought these venom laced thoughts an amorphous form slunk up slowly behind him and placed a withered hand on his shoulder.

" Do you feel alive?" asked the voice, breathing a cloud of pus and blood filled breath across Gallows' face. Gallows blinked and cringed a little at the smell.

(Must all things in Simulacrum smell so bad?)

"Alive? Tell me, what is you version of alive? To be stiffled by a bitch of a grandmother who knows nothing of my true feelings? Or are we talking about being stiffled by my teammates who are probably talking behind my back as we speak? Tell me, what is "alive" or are you full of that "poison" too?"

Hissed Gallows as he reached for the Zanzir. The vestige of what was Gallows slowly started to edge toward the brink of insanity He felt himself slipping and he didn't care. It was so peaceful just to let his anger flow through him, like the flames of an internal fire… Like the touch of divine….

The flickering of crimson light reflected in Gallows' blank orbs, turning them an uneven purple. His pupils were dilated to the point of almost not being visible and his body was perfectly limp.

(Free.. from them all… From them.. The ones that poison me with their cruelties.. )  
  
VVVV

Virginia looked at him from across the table, anger pooling within her eyes icy depths.

"You're worthless" said her cold orbs, but only for a moment, and then those fiery eyes closed and a disgusted look crossed her face.

"Don't you hate it when people don't pull through when you really need them to?" she huffed, moving her shoulders in a disgusted shrug. Everybody looked at him with disgust. They always looked at him with disgust. Always, it never failed. If someone was to blame it was always him.

(It was like I was their disease….BUT THEY ARE THE POISON!)

The scene faded but the hatred remained, constricting, burning, and devouring him slowly.  
  
VVVV

The darkness slow dissipated and Gallows found himself standing beside Virginia, his hand on her shoulder, his eyes set straight ahead. He was determined but he knew not why. Was he to protect her?

(But why should I protect my plague? Why do I even care?)

A sound of laughter caused the scenery to waver and break apart, and a wave of dark loneliness crashed into the young man, causing him to nearly to scream out his anguish.

(Why did they leave me alone? Why am I alone? I want to be with someone.. Anyone… I don't want to be so lonely! I want to be with….)

A fading shadow of Virginia reached out toward him longingly, only to be devoured by the darkness that once again surrounded him.

"Vir--- ginia? Don't leave me…." Cried Gallows as he slowly sank down to his knees and wept into his blood covered hands.

VVVV

The young Baskar removed his drenched hands to find himself once again surrounded by his team. Each one battle weary and exhausted. He watched in slow motion as Virginia leapt into the arms of that MAN! A feeling of pure rage, poured through his veins like lava and he wanted nothing more than to rip the boy's face off and drive his boot into it.

(Fuck you. I hate you. You stole her!)

He looked so surprised.. as if he didn't KNOW what she was doing! But he KNEW and so did she.

(Oh yes, she knew.. and so did he. I bet they're off together making out. Yeah, and here I am in hell. Thanks a lot..)

It scared Gallows to feel such a variation of emotions… He wanted to sink into the ground.. To feel no pain. To feel nothing at all.

Nothing at all.

VVVV

The darkness did not fade this time, if anything, it became more oppressive and threatening. Gallows' heart thumped noisily in his chest and his scarred lungs burned with anger and pain.

But no one would care. He was here, alone, and it didn't matter to anyone, the silence and the apathy that filled the air made that abundantly clear. Gallows was swallowed by this darkness, cold and alone, but, it actually starting to feel GOOD. He felt as if he didn't NEED anyone now. He was free.

(Freedom is what I want. And freedom is what I will get. THEY, my plague, will not stand in my way!)

The sound of distant laughter made him deviate his icy gaze in that direction.

(What is so damn FUNNY!)

"And Gallows said that he KNEW that! Can you BELIEVE it?!" Howled Virginia's voice as the group came into focus. Gallows' eyes narrowed and his face darkened as he watched his teammates degrade him with their cruel words.

"Yeah," Jet added, mimicking Gallows' voice "I'm so SMART! Look! I can tie my SHOES!" this was proceeded by more raucous laughter. The young priest's eyes were now nothing but angry slits and his hands trembled with unfettered fervor.

(They ALWAYS laughed… But.. they won't laugh at me now… THEY WILL NOT LAUGH!)

"It hurts when they laugh at you, doesn't it?" came a smooth voice from behind him as the scene in front of him faded. Gallows opened his eyes and turned around slowly to see for himself who this mysterious man was. He was both shocked and a bit afraid when he found himself looking into his own eyes. Gallows stumbled back and glared at his doppelganger, who was at the time smiling at him sweetly.

"They should not laugh at you. You're to good of a person to have to put up with that!" snapped pseudo Gallows, pointing to the pile in the middle of the room. Gallows narrowed his eyes and tried to make heads or tails out of the pile.

"W-what's that over there?" inquired Gallows, looking at his double once again. His counterpart simply shut his eyes and his smile evolved into a full fledged superior smirk.

"That, my friend, is your plague.."

VVVV

Virginia, hurried up the stairs and through the door that lead to the hallway of mirrors, praying to the Guardians that she was not to late. There were many things that she wanted to ask him… so many words that she wanted to say. But she knew that if she did not hurry she might be too late to say ANYTHING to him. "And that," she said to herself "Is NOT what I want! Gallows, hold on.. I'll be there.. just as I promised.."

VVVV

Jet and Clive leaned patiently against the wall, hoping for some sort of reaction from Simulacrum. True, they did not want it to be NEGATIVE, but, in their opinion, ANY type of reaction would give a good indication of Virginia and Gallows' current situation.

"So, do you think that Virginia caught up with him?" asked Jet after a long moment of silence. For a moment, Clive was silent and then: " If she is as determined as I think she is, then the answer is "yes". However.." he added, his brow furrowing "I seem to be getting some bad sentiments from that building.. I just hope it's not from Gallows himself.." Jet concurred with a nod and continued to watch the building, feeling very scared for both of his comrades.

( I guess what I felt at Deus ex Machina was real.. I guess I CAN truly feel. Because.. because.. I actually feel SCARED.. and maybe even alone. I don't want either one of them to die. Virginia is like a sister… or perhaps… Yes, a sister. And Gallows is like an annoying older brother that is constantly in my business. But, damn it, I care for the big goof) Jet smiled a little at this last comment and chuckled.

"They better come back alive, Gallows still owes me a meal.." he quipped, now smiling at Clive. Clive simply looked at Jet, chuckled, and then looked back toward Simulacrum.

VVVV

"So, my friend, what are you going to do about these plagues? Hm? Are you going to let them keep on destroying you from the inside out? Come on Gallows, I know you want revenge. Wrath is for the righteous, and you, my friend, are the righteous one."

Gallows cocked his head at this sentence and smirked, his eyes turning icier by the moment.

"What do you intend for me to do? I can' t take them ALL on, you know?"

The counterfeit Gallows simply laughed at this sentence and snapped his fingers, causing the flickering red light to brighten and cease its pulsation.

"Observe and rejoice, for today is the day of vengeance!"

In the middle of the room laid Gallows' three unconscious allies.

"There lies your plague, who do you wish to destroy?"

Gallows said nothing but the snarl on his face seemingly answered his alter egos question.

VVVV

Virginia let out a cry of exasperation when she saw several numerical and symbolic locks on the heavy wooden door that stood before her. She touched one of the locks and gasped when it burned her hand. With a snarl, she yanked her hand away and pulled out her guns, fully intent on blowing the locks off. She was stopped by a feeling of alarm emanating from Rnaia.

_Child, do NOT blow the locks off! You will alarm them to your presence! Allow me to help you!_

Virginia agreed and looked at a small inscription that seemingly appeared below all the locks.

"This lock of heart, holds the key to a man apart. From the North, a quake threatens destruction whilst from the South a fire burns! But is it from resolve or hatred? From the East, the air reeks of blood even thought the water from the West tries to gently wash it away. Succeed in solving this puzzle and the answer will be revealed!" Virginia sighed and glared at the runic symbols. They seemed familiar somehow.

"Hey!" she said after a moment of studying "These symbols represent signs of the Filgaian Zodiac! This symbol here represents the" A' indar" or the "Bird of Air" so.. if I just move this dial to face the East.." As Virginia spoke she moved the dial and heard a satisfying click, indicating that she had gotten that part of the puzzle right.

"All right, on to the next symbol!"

VVVV

Gallows walked up to the innate forms of his teammates and scowled down at them.

(I'm the one that has control now!) he pulled out the Zanzir and dug it into the ground next to Jet's head.

"You always thought that you had it tough, you little bastard! Always thought that everyone should just pity you! Well, guess what? I don't think you deserve pity! I don't think you even deserve the right to LIVE!…" at this point, Gallows' face softened and he unearthed the Zanzir from the ground and let it rest against his shoulder. "However, no matter how much I hate you… I can not loathe you whole- heartily, because, like it or not, you are a part of Virginia's heart…You live…" as he walked toward Clive, his alter-ego stepped up behind him and put his hand on Gallows' shoulder.

"Ah, here is Mr. Know- it- All!" Wouldn't you just LOVE to run your sword through him? Just imagine the feeling of.." he stopped when Gallows whirled around and glared at him, his eyes full of malice and disgust. His duplicate smiled resignedly and put his hands up in front of him as a sign of truce.

" Shut up and allow me to do this my way!" he snarled, driving the Zanzir inches away from Clive's head.

" I really do not have any quarrel with you. However, the fact remains that not once did you come to my defense.. Not that I really expected you to.." Gallows closed his eyes and once again retrieved the Zanzir . " But I can't take a father away from his child and wife. That goes against everything I've held dear. You live, just be glad that you're a father…."

Gallows did not sheathe the Zanzir as he walked over to Virginia, in fact, he looked down at her with both anger and love, these two emotions clashing together in a colossal war within the coliseum of his soul.

"You can destroy me or heal me with your words.. You can create or destroy my world with your actions. I don't want to be hurt by anyone any more…" Gallows' eyes faded to a dull blue and he lifted the sword above his head in a striking motion, causing his doppelganger to smile with satisfaction.

" So you have chosen your plague?" whispered the double as he wrapped his hands around Gallows'.

"Yes… I have chosen my plague.." rasped Gallows, his arms shaking as he held the sword above his head.

VVVV

"All RIGHT! Fala A'ire, the fire serpent is facing South, Teranis, the earth golem, is facing North and Aguias, the nymph, is facing the West! Now we should be getting the numbers to unlock the other two locks! Thank you so much for your insight, Rnaia, I couldn't have done it without you!"

_Save the thanks for later, I fear that Gallows is in danger! We must move quickly!_

Virginia nodded her acknowledgment and watched as the numbers to unlock the lock appeared in front of her. She tapped her foot impatiently, it seemed like these numbers were taking FOREVER to form!

(Gallows, please be all right! Please don't do anything rash.. and please don't leave me alone… ) thought Virginia, her heart thudding in her chest as she watched the remaining three numbers materialize.

VVVV

Gallows looked down at Virginia one last time before he swung the blade down, a single, silent tear falling down his face as he stabbed the Zanzir through his stomach, not really paying attention to the agonizing flames within the depth of his abdomen.

"NOOOOO!" screamed the pseudo Gallows as small pinpoints of red light poured from his body like blood.

"You… lose." Whispered Gallows as he drove the blade all the way through his stomach, feeling the cold hilt touch his blood covered skin.

"B-but WHY? I thought that you had found your PLAGUE! I thought that you were going to kill HER!" shrieked the twin as his jaw melted off and fell to the floor. Gallows coughed wetly and watched as waterfall of blood flowed from his mouth.

"My plague was not my teammates… it was my own indiscretion. Do you really think that I…" he coughed a little more and felt himself lurch forward, noting that the constant hum in his head started to get louder.

"That I would kill her? I promised her…." Another cough, another stream of blood followed by a cryptic smile. " That I would protect her.. even if it meant…" the rest of his sentence was cut off by a heave of pain and then he heard the final scream of his demon… his own plague, himself.

__

Stay tuned for Chapter 9: Ulitmus Saltātiō

Note: These "VVVV" stands for the page break... sorry for the inconvenience


	16. Ulitmus Saltatio

**__**

Chapter 9: Ulitmus Saltātiō

_"It's strange, really, when you look down and watch yourself take your last breath… And find that a tear has been shed for you." Gallows Carradine- Fate Calls, No One Listens._

**__**

Key :_This is Roka speaking, **This is Rnaia**_, (**This is Rsalis)**, and Gallows and Virginia's thoughts will be put into regular parentheses.

Alone. That was what he was. Alone, in this dark and hellish room, Virginia's name falling from his trembling lips as his forehead silently hit the ground. The tears of regret soundlessly rolled down his face as his hands pressed against the cold floor.

"Why… why must I die…alone…?" he whispered as tiny droplets of blood speckled the ground. He was no longer coherent enough to acknowledge his stiffened knees, which he had fallen to after he watched his counterpart literally fall apart.

**__**

(You're never alone… She's through that door… Wait….)

He slowly closed his eyes and focused on breathing without pain,

(I can't die… not now…) With that, his eyes flung open and he focused on the door, which was starting to open slowly. (She's coming.. for me…. )

__

That's what you think… How do you know that she's not coming to slay your sorry ass? Hm?

"Virginia…" sighed Gallows, a small smile crossing his blood stained face.

Virginia opened the door with a grunt and immediately spotted the form of the fallen Baskar a few feet in front of her. Her heart dropped into her stomach and her mind seemed to slow everything down. The throbbing red lights, her breath, her thoughts, everything was going so slow.

"Gallows…" she murmured , not having enough breath to yell his name. Without another word, she ran to his side and dropped down to her knees, it was then everything returned to its normal speed.

Gallows raised his head, his unfocused eyes zoomed in on her and the slight smile grew a little more.

(He's ALIVE! I'm not to late!) She thought with a smile as she reached out tentatively, her hand shaking all the while. (But I barely made it… Why? Why is he…) She looked down at his stomach and gasped.

"Gallows…What happened?" she asked, stroking his hair, and trying to keep her composure.

"Promised… I would never…." He coughed wetly and another river of blood spurted forth.

"Promised what?" whimpered Virginia, cupping his chin in the palm of her hand, trying to help keep his head stable. To that question, Gallows' smiled faded and his eyes trailed down to his impaled midsection.

"I promised.. That I would never hurt you…." He grunted, his head starting to lull toward Virginia.

(No! He's losing consciousness! I must find a way to keep him coherent! But… That would mean…)

"Gallows.. I'm sorry…" whimpered Virginia, her free hand reaching for the pommel of the sword. Instead of protesting, he nodded his head wearily and rested his forehead against her shoulder, causing the sorrowful young woman to remove her hand from his chin. Tears threatened Virginia with their strong burn as she continued to stroke his hair with one hand while encircling the hilt with the other.

"Go ahead… I'm ready…" he whispered, turning his head slightly so that his warm breath tickled her neck. She shivered a little bit, feeling both fear and pleasure, and then tensed her shoulders.

"I really am sorry…." She sniffed as she prepared to give the Zanzir a quick tug.

"Don't be…" responded Gallows, nuzzling his face to her neck and kissing it lightly. Virginia blushed for a second and then narrowed her eyes with determination.

"Here we go…" And with a strained grunt, Virginia tugged the Zanzir with all her might, feeling the blade cut cleanly through sinew and flesh, extracting a pained gasp from the severely weakened Gallows.

(He can't even scream anymore…) Thought Virginia, feeling both nausea and pity as she lost her balance and fell on to her behind, the Zanzir held lightly in her hand.

"Vir..ginia…" whimpered Gallows as he fell forward helplessly. Virginia, not really thinking clearly, dropped the Zanzir and caught Gallows before he hit the ground, blushing once again when she felt his chest press against hers.

"Don't die on me…." She sobbed, running her fingers through his hair lovingly, no longer denying what she felt. Gallows did not respond, but she felt a warm wetness seep into her shoulder. He was CRYING!

"Gallows…" she whispered, burying her face into his hair and weeping silently.

"…. Is… ault… ead…" snarled Gallows into Virginia's shoulder. With a gasp, and the realization that it was no longer Gallows leaning against her, she pulled away and looked him in the eyes.

"No… Damn you Roka!" she snarled, looking hatefully into two golden orbs.

"Well now, it looks like you dear prince has lost his way… How regretful!" laughed Roka as Virginia let go of him, stood up, and looked down at him balefully.

"Why? Why do you keep making him suffer?! What did he ever do to you?!" muttered Virginia, taking a couple of steps back and reaching for her guns.

(I know I can't shoot him, but I maybe able to distract him long enough for Gallows to regain control)

Roka startled the young woman when he let out a chopped laugh and stood with no problem, ignoring the constant stream of blood that was cascading down his midsection.

"What did he DO? He ruined my life was what he DID! He was what damned my soul to this eternal hell! " spat Roka through blood caked lips. Virginia smiled threateningly and wrapped her hands around her two revolvers, enjoying the feel of flesh, soul, and bone melding into power.

"So you blame your son for your own shortcomings? That's _really_ mature of you, you sorry excuse for a mutt! You don't even deserve the title of "human" anymore!" she spat, spinning the guns around her fingers and then aiming them both at Roka, a superior smile on her face. Roka's face twitched with irritation and he reached for the Zanzir, only to discover that it was not there.

"WHAT?!" he exclaimed, his eyes widening with both anger and surprise. Virginia's smiled widened a little bit, now was her chance to help Gallows!

"Missing something?" she laughed, quickly putting the guns back into their holsters and grabbing the Zanzir that was lying benignly at her feet. She nearly dropped it when she found out first-hand how heavy it was. Roka scoffed at her and bared his teeth, proving to Virginia what she had already known, Roka was no longer sane nor human. His actions bordered on feral and that was what bothered her the most.

(Roka is no longer thinking, he is only doing what comes naturally to any mammal.. and that is…)

"The Zanzir.. it does not belong to you! GIVE IT BACK!" Roka snarled, reaching for her shakily, stumbling, and then falling back on to his hands and knees. Virginia looked at him with pity and tenuously shook her head "no", to which Roka snarled his contempt.

"You will not give me the Zanzir?! Then…" snarled Roka, slowly rising to his feet and lumbering toward her. Virginia took a couple of more steps back, trying to keep her distance from Roka.

(And that is… survival…)

"I SHALL TAKE IT!" screeched Roka, stopping approximately eight feet forward of her and extending a blood soaked hand an arms length in front of him. Virginia gasped when the sword started to shake in her already unsteady hand and almost let go of it.

(Well, Roka, I have news for you. I am going to try and survive this too!)

"Like HELL you will!" she snarled, shakily holding the Zanzir out in front of her, her arms shaking violently under the weight of the sword.

"I… will.. have… the… Zanzir.." snarled Roka, dropping back down to his knees and bowing his head in a seemingly mournful manner.

Virginia watched Roka nervously, she did not know what to expect now.

"Roka…. Why don't you…" the rest of her sentence was cut off by a primal howl coming from Roka's parted lips. A semi-visible shock wave rippled in a circle around Roka and then shot out at Virginia, its velocity being so great that it pressed her skirt roughly against her ankles.

"I WILL NOT GIVE UP!" shouted Roka, looking up, his eyes now glowing red with tendrils of blood streaming from his eyes.

"Don't you realize that this is part of a greater plan?! This world belongs to our ancestors, not to all of you misinformed IDIOTS! You all tried to save the world and guess what? YOU FAILED! Now…" Roka stood up and Virginia watched as the wound on his midsection healed up and was replaced by a screaming face.

" DIE AND LET ME DO MY JOB!" he yelled, once again reaching out his hand toward Virginia.

The Zanzir shook once more, and, despite Virginia's valiant efforts, flew out of her quaking hands and into Roka's waiting ones.

"Damn it!" she snarled, drawing her guns out and glaring at Roka maliciously.

"What are you going to do with those guns, little girl? Don't tell me that you're going to shoot old "Lover Boy" here." Cackled Roka, swinging the sword in a vertical arc with the utmost of ease. The face in Roka's stomach screamed angrily and it was then that Virginia realized that the face was that of Gallows.

" NO!" She shrieked, firing her revolvers in quick succession, watching helplessly as each shot deviated to either side of him. Roka laughed at her efforts and closed his eyes.

"Give up, I know your weakness!" he snorted and opened his blood red eyes, " And you say that love is strength! This is what I think of LOVE!" and with a grunt, Roka lifted the Zanzir up to the heavens.

" O' Spirits of the Lost, come to me in my hour of need!" shouted Roka, looking up at a now glowing, blood red, sword.

"Hear my plea, hold out your hand and let me FEED!" the sound of thunder punctuated each of his passionate words.

" Let my past be your future, let the light of my soul lead you to the land of the living!" Virginia watched in silent horror as bolts of black lightening crawled across the ceiling from the corners of the room , converged together, and then flowed into the Zanzir, turning it dark purple.

"Let me rise and do your bidding!" screeched Roka, the dark aura from the sword surrounding his body.

"No…" whispered Virginia, sinking down to her knees as she watched the shadows that surrounded her funnel into the sword and then form midnight colored wings behind Roka.

Roka let out a harsh scream and then, a shadowy, serpentine form with wings, forced itself from Gallows' mouth and crashed through the floor, taking with it the floor in which a dazed Gallows and a shocked Virginia stood on.

Virginia closed her eyes as she fell head first into the void, a single crystalline tear flying from her eye and seemingly up to the dark heavens which loomed above her. She really felt no fear, she could almost feel the warmth of death's embrace. It was weird, she did not expect death to be such a calm feeling. It felt like the embrace of her father… so warm.. with nothing at all to fret about.. nothing at all...

(I am with you, you are never alone. You taught me that it is possible to fly.. even with broken wings..)

Virginia opened her eyes and realized that the arms she felt around her waist were real and belonged to the person that was speaking to her heart.

"Gallows…" she said, leaning her head against his chest.

"I won't let you die…Your wings maybe broken…. But mine are not…" whispered Gallows, tightening his arms around her waist and taking in a deep breath.

"Gallows…" started Virginia, slightly startled to feel a bizarre energy cumulating around them.

"Trust me… " and as he spoke these words, a warm wind enveloped her and all of the sudden they were no longer falling and were upright, a sound of flapping, as steady as a heartbeat, echoing around them.

"If I must fall then let me… But I will not let the broken fall alone.." and with another gust of wind, they stated to lower themselves slowly down the hole. Virginia was puzzled to say the least, what was slowing their descent?

"Gallows….?" Inquired Virginia, craning her head the best that she could to look at Gallows.

"Yes?" he asked, sounding somewhat winded.

"Are we flying?" to which he answered;

"No…" she could feel his smile against her neck "We're falling with style.."

Virginia laughed and once again leaned her head against his chest.

"Are you going to fight Roka?" There was silence for a few long seconds and then;

"I suppose I really have no choice, if I lose, Roka in his true form, will poses my body and open the seal.. and I can't… no.. I WON'T allow him that pleasure…"

"Gallows… What is Roka? I know he used to be your father.. but what is he now?"

There was no answer to this question as they were now two stories above their target location.

"Roka's soul is that of a Ultiō Drācō or Vengeance Dragon. He was so bent on.. " Gallows' sentence was interrupted by the smell of his flesh burning and the sound of dark electricity humming by him. With a grunt, he pulled Virginia closer to him and said something in a language that she did not understand. The ground seemingly sped up to meet them and pretty soon they were standing on an earthen floor, staring at what seemed to be a mass of writing shadows.

"So you came, my son, I think it is time for you and I to dance…" spoke the shadows.

Gallows put Virginia down and then stepped out in front of her, it was then she saw the blood from the multiple scratches on his back coat bits and pieces of what appeared to be wings of solid energy.

(He has wings…) This fact seemed to coat all of her other emotions with awe.

"So… my incompetent son has decided to make his appearance. You know the drill, Gnshinurca, charge to your death… make my job easier.." quipped Roka, his voice laced with both amusement and venom. Gallows shut his eyes and snorted, much to Roka's dismay and Virginia's amusement.

"I'm surprised that you were not the Dragon of Pride.. it would have suited you so much better…"

Roka did not respond with words, instead, he sent a volley of dark electricity in Gallows' direction.

Gallows merely sighed and Virginia watched as the energy reconfigured out in front of him and caused the bolts to flake away into tiny pinpoints of light.

"Let us not play these simple games, Roka, for I am quiet tired of them. You should know by now that a knight must have a sword of which to slay the dragon… and.. I seem to be missing something.." simpered Gallows, raising an eyebrow in a very irritated fashion.

"Always the witty one, aren't you Rsalis? Well, I must admit, I'd rather have a challenge then a push over.. Fine…" And from the shifting shadows flew the Zanzir, which Gallows caught perfectly with one hand. Virginia was surprised with how easily Gallows both carried and handled the Zanzir.

(It is almost like second nature to him… What the hell is going on?)

"Hm, actually, father, that was not Rsalis.. it was me. You've gone too far…" Gallows slid one leg back and slightly bent the leg in front. " I will not allow you to hurt any of my friends…"

The shadows shifted once again and then illusively sprung forward into a flurry of fangs and scales.

Gallows stumbled back and blocked his knee cap from a shadowy spiked tail with a well timed parry followed by a quick slash. Roka screamed and sprayed a film of black blood across Gallows' face and stepped into the dim light, causing Virginia to gasp in terror, for, in front of her stood a behemoth of a dragon that made Lombardia look small.

(Why is it not destroying the ceiling?! Something of that size should have brought the ceiling down.)

**__**

Child, the reason he is not destroying Simulacrum is because he has total control over his atomic structure. In other words, he can make himself into mist if he wanted to and then just as quickly turn back into solid form…

Virginia inwardly gasped at this revelation.

(How can he fight something that can change forms at will? Unless Gallows… or Gnshinurca…can match or exceed that ability, this is going to be one hell of a fight…)

"Stay behind me… Things are going to get ugly.." Said Gallows solemnly, extending his energy wings protectively in front of her. Virginia nodded her head, and watched Roka, in dragon form, sway and distort.

"So, you think that those wings will protect you? What a laugh! I can pierce your heart without breaking a sweat!" laughed Roka, waving his spiked tail with amusement.

"You think so? Well, I guess we'll just have to find out…WON'T WE?!" exclaimed Gallows, clenching his hand around the Zanzir and the swinging it in a wide arc in front of him. A hand of energy emerged from one of his wings and swirled around the blade, making it glow like illuminated blood.

"Wh-What?" exclaimed Roka, backing back off into the shadows.

Gallows simply smiled at Roka's cowardly action and put the Zanzir back into a defensive position.

"Are we going to talk or are we going to fight?" grinned Gallows, shifting his weight from his right foot to his left in a timed manner.

"Seeing as that you are determined to…" The rest of his sentence was cut off by gun shots. Gallows lowered his smoking Coyote and smiled.

"Shut up. I want to finish this…" simpered Gallows, looking at the seething Dragon.

"Very well…" Said Roka, twitching a black leathery wing with irritation.

Roka snarled as he slashed at Gallows with a clawed talon, cursing as he watched Gallows smack it back at him by tensing his arm just as the talon hit the upheld Zanzir.

"Not bad…" gasped Roka, taking a couple of steps back. Gallows' smile faded when he realized what Roka was doing.

The Shadow shifted and melted down into a smaller form… The form of Gallows, wielding the Zanzir, a wicked smile pasted beneath glittering black eyes.

" I must say.." said Roka, closing his eyes and frowning a bit. "Your body is pretty resilient.. I guess it does not hurt to have…" Wings of Shadow flowed from his back like a live cape and fluttered in an ephemeral breeze. "These.." finished Roka, opening his eyes, the cruel smile returning to his face.

Gallows looked at him wearily and lifted the sword in a high thrusting position, throwing his weight back a little so that he could move quickly.

Virginia watched the muscles in Gallows' arm tighten, she felt her heart beat painfully in her chest as she watched a fresh stream of blood pour down the wings and plop quietly to the ground.

(I don't know how bad he's hurt…. Roka healed the critical wound but I doubt that he healed the countless other injuries. After all, Gallows was nothing but a vessel to him… And I think that it was Roka's plan to leave him in a semi-weakened state… ) Virginia narrowed her eyes, wanting so bad to treat the wounds.

"Your wings show the color of your soul…" whispered Gallows angrily, narrowing his eyes and loosening his arm a little in preparation for the attack.

"So it does.." Said Roka, resting the Dark Zanzir on his shoulder and giving Gallows a taunting smile.

"Damn.." muttered Gallows, knowing full well what Roka was planning.

(He's trying to make me move away from Virginia so he can use her against me… Sorry Roka, I have other plans) Gallows dropped the sword to his side and focused hard, his eyes flashing a sky blue, his knuckles whitening around the hilt of the Zanzir.

"Gallows?" whispered Virginia, watching as a light blue aura surrounded him.

"You won't win…. EVER!" And with those words spoken, the transparent wings glowed a blinding white and another set exploded from his back on top of the other ones. Virginia gasped, Gallows now had four, solid white energy wings flapping in unison.

A white hand flew out of Gallows' right hand wing and perched in front of Virginia protectively.

Roka did not have time to react to this action, on the account that his son was charging him full force, the Zanzir held back up in a high thrusting position.

"Gagh!" cursed Roka, parrying the thrust a short second before it connected with his forehead.

"Hmph.." said Gallows, using the swords rebound as momentum and swinging it in a short arc at Roka's midsection. Roka did not have time to react to this motion, and the Zanzir cleaved into his flesh cleanly.

"Give up.." Said Gallows, yanking the Zanzir from his father's side far from gently.

"No.." responded Roka, swinging his sword at Gallows' left, upper, wing. Gallows could not bring his sword up in time and felt a searing pain as a gush of blood soaked the wing red.

"Why don't you just DIE!?" growled Roka, thrusting the sword at Gallows' face, missing by a hair's breadth as Gallows dodge it and swung his sword down toward Roka's ankles, shifting all his strength to his forearm and biceps. Roka blocked with his Zanzir and counted with a sword sweep of his own, which Gallows, in turn, blocked with his sword. Roka stumbled back and glared at him.

"Stubborn BASTARD" He roared, melting into a puddle of shadow.

"What?!' growled Gallows, backing up toward Virginia.

A hand reached up from the darkness and grabbed Virginia's ankle, Virginia, who did not much care for Roka's pawing, pulled out one of her guns and shot at it. The hand released her ankle and sank back into the ground. Gallows gave her an approving glance and then looked around cautiously. Roka could pop up anywhere, and Gallows wanted to be ready when that happened.

"Come on, you cowardly bastard, I don't have all of eternity…" snarled Gallows, resting the Zanzir lightly on his shoulder. A hiss from behind him caused him to whirl around and face what appeared to be hybrid of a hydra and a manticore. It's multiple snake like head swayed back and forth, whilst it's scorpion like tail rested against a taunt, well built, lion's body.

"What the FUCK?!" snarled the enraged Baskar, quickly bringing the Zanzir from his shoulder and slamming the blade about an inch to the ground.

Roka did not respond to his son's enraged reply and instead spat black saliva at his son. Gallows pulled the sword out of the ground and started to back up cautiously. However, he soon discovered that it would do him no good. The spittle morphed into shadowy bats with sharp, wicked looking, wings.

"Ungh!" He moaned as the bats flew toward him in an angry frenzy.

(I must protect Virginia)

Without giving it a second thought, he sheathed the Zanzir, turned around, pulled Virginia closed and unfurled his wings.

Virginia cringed as she heard the sound of flesh tearing followed by the smell of burning sulfur.

(Where.. where did he get the WINGS from?! I know that he did not always have them!)

Virginia's inner rant was pierced by Gallows' pained cry. She felt his arms loosen a little bit from around her and she pulled away.

"Uh… " coughed Gallows, pushing her away a little bit before being lifted several feet off the ground by TWO stingers that were protruding from either side of his chest.

"Gallows!' cried Virginia, pulling out her guns and firing at the twin stingers that were shaking Gallows around in long, bloody, swings. Gallows' brilliant wings started to fade to a dull red and several feathers fell from their perch and shattered on the darkened floor with a mournful shatter.

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He felt his flesh tearing as the two stingers pierced his back and poked through painfully on the other side. His battered lungs screamed their anguish in a fiery voice that ripped through every fiber of his being. And then, he heard his name, followed by gun shots… She was calling him… Calling his name sweetly… An angel…

He opened his eyes and watched as the ceiling tauntingly reached for him and then bounded away. The amount of blood that he was losing was unreal and he knew that if he did not do something soon, he would be dead and no one would be there to protect Virginia.

(No one… WILL BE THERE TO PROTECT MY ANGEL!)

"Damn YOU!" He snarled, feeling the sparks of anger flare from his insane orbs. Pain be damned, he was going to win, even if it KILLED him. Roka snarled and was about to swing him again, when Gallows' wings suddenly flashed to life and started to glow again.

"Ah, so the battered dove does not know when to submit to the scorpion?…" Laughed Roka, starting to separate that two stingers in an attempt to pull the young priest apart.

A string of blood flew from Gallows' mouth and splattered against the floor wetly, but, that did not wipe the smile from his face, in fact, it made it a little bit bigger.

"You picked the wrong day…." Coughed Gallows, shaping the wings in his mind.

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Virginia watched in fascination as Gallows' wings merged together to form one gigantic blade that cut the stingers asunder, and sent him plunging toward the ground. Virginia could only watch the young man's descent, knowing full well that she could not catch him. Gallows hit the ground hard and Virginia heard a sickening crack issue from his right arm. Gallows groaned and rolled over onto his good arm, trying to find the strength to get up. Roka, however, had other plans, as he melted back into the shadows and reformed as a panther with hooked blades as ears.

"Foolish son…" it spat, gracefully walking toward Gallows, a fanged smile cracking its features.

"Foolish?" cackled Gallows as he pulled himself into a sitting position, watching as Roka slunk ever closer.

"Yes.. Foolish. You are already dead, so why not just accept your fate laying down like the worn you are?"

Gallows did not answer this question, instead, he closed his eyes and felt the wind from his wings flutter his disarrayed hair into his face.

"What are you doing?" asked Roka angrily, stopping in mid-stride as he watched a field of energy surrounded his son and Virginia.

"Siea siaen solna la…" whispered Gallows silently, feeling his body rise on its own accord and extend his arm, with a cursed finger ,pointing toward Roka. Roka flew back suddenly and for seemingly no reason as Gallows opened his eyes.

"It ends now, old man, you will not hurt my friends or this body. Do you understand me?" inquired Gallows in a harsh whisper.

Roka, who was still in the form of a panther, slowly rose to his feet and formed back into a shadowy, human like form. He had admittedly been surprised by his son's strength, but that did not mean he was going to hand this fight over to him.

"Come son, show this "old man" what you can do. " growled Roka, forming a double bladed battle axe in his right hand and a wicked morning star in the other. Gallows did not have to be told twice, he held the sword in his left hand, cursing silently at his now broken right arm.

(Damn it, I just HAD to land on my strong arm… I really am a screw up…)

****

(Do not think like that, Roka wants to smash your spirit, do NOT let him succeed! Believe!)

Gallows smiled a little and took on a shaky defensive stance, his left hand holding the sword perfectly parallel to his bloodied face.

"Come on." Spat Gallows, swinging the Zanzir impatiently. With a battle cry, the shadow rushed forward and swung his implements of war at Gallows' head and torso. With a grunt, Gallows willed the his upper left hand wing into a claw and took both the ax AND Roka's hand away from its owner. Enraged, Roka swung the morning star at Gallows' head and pressed down hard against the sword that had appeared in his path. Roka knew that Gallows did not have the time to make the morning star rebound and, as a result, could not use it to his advantage.

__

This boils down to your will son… Now… LET'S GET IT ON!

The two weapons ground together in a spectacular show of sparks. Virginia could not help but respect the two men that were fighting in front of her.. Of course she was looking at Gallows more than Roka (And besides, he was but a shadow, nothing really to see there…) but still, to see them fight so passionately sent shivers down her spine.

Gallows pushed the morning star away with a well timed thrust upward, leapt back, and then cleaved the shadowy form in two as he bounded forward again in a fluid motion. Roka screamed as he split in two and melted back into the ground.

"It ends…." Said Gallows, holding the sword into the air and willing the energy from his wings into it. The sword glowed bright red, and then started to crack down the middle.

"NOOOO!!" Roared Roka from somewhere within the depths of the shadows.

"Oh yes…" smiled Gallows, as light shot from the Zanzir and penetrated the shadows with its sharp, bright fingers. The shadows exploded into anti-light and then imploded into a void of nothingness.

Gallows watched this bizarre light show with a strained smile and then turned around to face a rather pale, but proud Virginia.

"We… won…" and, with those words spoken, he dropped the now broken Zanzir and fell down onto his left side painfully, tears of both agony and pride running down his face.

He did not hear Virginia's startled cry as he pressed his cheek against the cold ground and looked blankly ahead. He had won, true enough, but had pushed his body to its limits and that meant.

(I might die.. I knew it all along… but I did not want to accept it… Dying without telling her how I feel..)

He was stopped in mid-rant by a single, glowing, red feather that floated gracefully down in front of his eyes. He reached out for it weakly and then smiled. He was not going to die. He was, after all, the _Fasi Mais…_

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The moment Gallows fell, Virginia rushed to his side, forgetting completely about the battle that had just taken place. All that mattered to her was Gallows, not his now non-existent wings, not his power, just Gallows. She sat down in front of him so he could see her and slowly intertwined her fingers with his, making sure that it was not the hurt one before she did so.

"I'm.. I'm not going to die…" laughed Gallows weakly, giving her hand a small squeeze. Virginia could no longer hold her tears in and she started to weep, pressing the back of Gallows' hand against her cheek and rubbing against it mournfully.

"Of course you're not going to die… Y-you're my other half…. My other…." Gallows untangled his scraped hand from hers and caressed her face.

"Weep no more, for with the storm comes the promise of a rainbow and a new day.." chuckled Gallows, starting to feel like his old self. The tears started to dry up and Virginia lowered herself to Gallows' side, locking eyes with the young priest.

"You're… you're such a ham…" she hiccuped, reaching over to push a strand of hair from his face.

To this, Gallows chuckled and grabbed her hand as she tried to pull away.

"Yeah, but you know that you like me that way…." He said, giving her hand a small kiss before letting it go. Virginia smiled and got up.

"We need to get out of here, the others are worried sick about you." For a moment she feared that he would get angry, but that fear was quickly alleviated by Gallows' booming laugh.

"Well, we don't wanna have a lot of sick people at the party now do we?"

"A party?" asked Virginia, watching as Gallows painfully stood up.

"Yeah," snickered Gallows, hobbling over to Virginia almost comically. "You don't think that I would do this for free do you?"

Virginia laughed and wrapped her arm supportively around his waist.

"No, I suppose not…" she laughed, looking up at Gallows and then cutting her laughter short when she saw the busted ceiling. Gallows saw the worried expression on her face and laughed.

"Don't worry, little lady, everything's under control." He said with a heavy accent. Virginia couldn't help but laugh at this.

"How are we going to get out?"

"The same way we came in…" said Gallows, pulling her to his chest with his good arm and closing his eyes. The wings once again exploded from his back, this time in a brilliant array of colors and light. Virginia closed her eyes and leaned her head against Gallows' chest, feeling his heart beat in time with the flap of his wings.

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**__**

Lasent sao Sin'ka: Written By Heather

.

Fiena uono lasent sao Sin'ka, roau yurege ro solan

Sahrin sao mila'al nisant mosan waijo makik wala

Uens saic sahins sao sauino

.Miau muosat ot meo sunta namua sicheir

Kusub, rinsan mu kinyo sai

Kien soei

Kiyala moei

Iu suauan kieo, sin'ka soun fiens, kosin manik

Mu nient sahir mousi eis coga mu ei ki'ola

Mila'al sa runta'la uens ien mikoa

Iele, kin'oy min uens coa, mo resio waijo walais sao kosin sin'ka

Sahins, riens mu kauao

Pien'so ian yoaie

Ok'ien ian yoaine

Ki'uie woam, kis'il noemo

Noemo kin'yain lono oa

Kin'yai iedso saun'tai duenes sao tai

Zuien mo ro'in , uneiter, ine so'nta sin'ka soe ien Sa'ita

Co'an so'nta sahin ine mila'al

**__**

Stay tuned for:

Epilogue: Never Alone.

(Hey, this thing has to have an ending you know! And, yes, the wing thing will be explained in detail. Oh, and they made it out alive, but that's in the next chapter, you know? )


	17. Epilogue:Never Alone

****

Epilogue: Never Alone

Their feet touched the ground softly as Gallows' wings dissolved back into his back.

"Well, that was fun, but I ain't doing it again.." laughed Gallows lightly, rubbing his broken arm gingerly.

"I don't blame you at all….Gallows…" said Virginia, pulling away from him and looking at him with a worried expression. Gallows scratched his temple with his good hand and smiled.

"Yeah?" said he, looking at the dry blood on his hand with a certain amount of distaste.

"Are you.. I mean… I AM talking to Gallows and not Rsalis..? Right?" inquired Virginia, wringing her hands together nervously. To this, Gallows closed his eyes and smiled even wider.

"If you were talking to Rsalis, we would be speaking of Inter-dimensional entities and what have you because…" he opened his cheerful eyes, his smile as big as it could get. " You would be my wife."

Virginia blinked to this theory and then smiled.

"Well now, seeing as that I'm talking to Gallows and not Rsalis, I suppose it would be all right if I were to do…" She walked the short distance between them and kissed him softly on the cheek. "..this." She finished, her lips still hovering near his now slightly flushed cheek.

"Eh heh. Well.. um.. yeah… I suppose that… Yeah.." stuttered the befuddled Baskar as he wrapped his arm around her waist. Virginia blushed as he lifted her off her tiptoes so that she was at eye level with him.

"And, need I even ask if your Virginia?" he laughed, brushing his lips against hers. She closed her eyes and returned his gesture softly, savoring the warmth that she felt around her.

(We're safe now… And we will never be apart…) She smiled around the kiss and then pulled away, extracting a playful pout from Gallows.

"Ah, it was just getting good!" He laughed, lowering her to the ground slowly. As her feet hit the ground her smile faded, Gallows, noting the change, looked at her inquisitively.

"What's wrong, Virginia, you're not hurt are you?" he asked, the look of inquisitiveness slowly sinking into a look of concern. Virginia quickly shook her head "no" and put her hand lightly on his chest.

"I'm just really curious about your wings, about Rnaia and Rsalis and… well.. about EVERYTHING. Gallows, there is so much that I don't know, nor understand. And…" she looked down at the ground, noting that her boots were speckled with blood. "I want to understand…so you don't have to go through something like this alone again.." she said, leaning forward and resting her forehead against Gallows' chest, her hand falling down to her side glumly and somewhat helplessly. Gallows sighed and wrapped his arms around her shoulders and held her without saying a word, and yet, somehow, Virginia understood everything that his heart was saying. They stayed that way for awhile until Gallows broke the silence with a subdued cough. Virginia pulled away and felt tears running down her face. Gallows, still not saying a word, gently wiped the tear away with his index finger and smiled.

"I think we need to go and check on the others. You and I will talk later and I will explain everything.. Okay… Virginia?" asked Gallows, slowly moving his hand down Virginia's face and cupping her chin in his hand. Virginia looked up at him and gave her winning " Let's do it!" smile. Gallows chuckled and removed his hand from Virginia's chin.

"Ready?" asked Gallows, extending his hand to Virginia, which she took without hesitation. Their fingers intertwined with one another and they walked toward the entrance of Simulacrum, anxiously awaiting their reunion with Clive and Jet.

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Clive was the first to see the two forms coming from the ruins and threw a small pebble at the sleeping Jet to get his attention. Jet, feeling rather annoyed that a pebble had nearly whacked his head, looked at Clive with a mix of annoyance and silent fury.

"What's the idea?! I didn't… Huh?!" exclaimed Jet, following Clive's pointing finger.

"That, Jet, is why I wanted to get your attention." Smiled the sniper, walking slowly toward the hobbling duo. Jet, with a slow smile spreading across his face, followed Clive.

(They made it! They're both alive!.. My heart feels so… light.. Like I have awoken from a long running dream. I want so much just to… tell them all how much I care for them.. Maybe I will…Maybe…)

"Hey!" Exclaimed Gallows cheerfully, giving the other two a goofy grin.

"Gallows! Virginia! You both are safe! I'm glad! We worried there for awhile." Laughed Clive, running the rest of the way to help Virginia with Gallows. Jet, still smiling, ran over to where his team mates were and offered his assistance. Virginia, however, refused to give up Gallows' hand, even for a moment. Jet, realizing that he would have no chance to win an argument with her, dropped the subject and walked beside Clive.

"Gallows, I hate to tell you this, but you look like hell…" laughed Jet, as he pointed to Gallows' broken arm, which was, at the time, being supported by Clive's arm. Gallows chuckled jovially and shook his head slowly back and forth.

"Well, man, let me tell you, I FEEL like I've been through hell…" and then, as and afterthought, he added "And back." Jet moaned playfully at this overused expression and slapped his forehead lightly.

"Hey, Jet, don't do that to much, don't wanna knock out what little brain you have left after Clive nearly took your head off with that pebble!" laughed Virginia, nodding toward a now embarrassed Clive.

"I did NOT nearly take off his head! And… What relevance does his brain have… ? No, never mind, if you try to explain it right now, MY brain might cease to be.. Why don't we head back toward Baskar Colony?" asked Clive, looking at his three smiling team mates.

For some reason, Gallows' stomach dropped down to his knees and he felt faint.

"Ungh…" Gallows moaned, lurching forward, trickles of blood falling from his nose and mouth. Their smiles quickly faded as they caught the falling Baskar, which took ALL of their efforts. Virginia's heart almost stopped beating as she caught Gallows with the rest of them.

(Just how severe ARE his injuries? Will he live through this..?) Tears started to sting her eyes and she had to blink a couple of times to keep them in check.

"We need to get him to Baskar Colony on the double! He's obviously hurt worse than he let on!" exclaimed Virginia, huffing as they dragged Gallows to his horse.

"I'll hold on to him! Jet! Would you please take the reins of my horse and lead him back? Clive! Make sure that we're not engaged on our way to Baskar! Let's go!" demanded Virginia, climbing on to the horse behind Gallows and spurring it on, leaving a cloud of dust as she sped away. Jet and Clive nodded at each other and went to do their assigned task.

Virginia's heart sped alongside the horse as she gripped the reins.

(Please hold on Gallows, we'll get you home safe…I promise..) She pressed her forehead against his lax back and silently prayed.

Jet and Clive watched helplessly as Virginia despaired. They could not find the words to give her heart solace, no matter how much they wanted to .

"Hey Clive… do you really think Gallows will be all right? I mean, he looks to be in pretty bad shape, and, if truth be told, I think he was running on both adrenaline and joy when he walked out with Virginia…"

"And now that he has nothing to fight for or against, his body and mind just gave out… " finished Clive, looking at the young android. Jet locked eyes with Clive a second longer, long enough to convey his doubt, and then spurred his horse forward. Clive, sighing, gently kicked his horses flanks and caught up with his comrades, keep a sharp eye out for adversity.

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His world was dark, silent, and peaceful. Not a single sound penetrated this haven of safe thoughts. Unfurling himself from a fetal position, he stood, his rainbow colored wings flapping silently behind him. He was nude and yet he felt no shame. No one would see him this vulnerable.. No one would see him with all his card on the table. He ran a now unbroken hand through his hair and brought his hand back down to find it covered with silver.

"Huh?" me mumbled, holding his hand out in front of him and observing the substance with the utmost of fascination.

"You still do not get it, do you Gallows?" chuckled a deep voice from behind him. Gallows, caught off guard, whirled around and used his wings to cover his vital areas.

"Who are you?!" exclaimed Gallows, looking at the distinguished looking gentleman that stood in front of him. Then man simply laughed and pushed a long, silver, lock of hair behind his slightly pointed ears. The young Baskar blinked, for some reason, this man seemed and… FELT familiar..

"My dear child, I am Rsalis, and, had you your senses around you, you would have known as much…" said Rsalis and a slightly condescending tone of voice. Gallows, relaxing at this bit of information, unfurled his wings and let them flow behind him.

"What is going on? Why am I here… and…" Gallows blushed a little, "Why don't I have any clothes on?"

Rsalis took a step toward him and that was when Gallows realized that Rsalis was slightly taller than him.

"You were not born with a shell so why should you have one as you speak to the God of Death?" Inquired Rsalis, reaching a strong hand out to touch Gallows' face. Gallows flinched a little as Rsalis' hand made contact but then relaxed when he found that there were no ill effects from the contact.

"I see.." said Gallows, scratching his arm although it did not itch.

(Damn nasty habit..)

"My child, I wish to tell you a story.." started Rsalis, removing his hand slowly from Gallows' face and putting it firmly on his silver clad side. To this, Gallows nodded his confirmation and sat down cross-legged and looked up at Rsalis anxiously. Rsalis chuckled and sat down in front of Gallows in a similar fashion.

"We are all born into the hands of fate. Each child holds the knowledge of the heavens within their hearts. However.. as we grow and absorb the ways of the world, we lose the original that plan the Supreme and the Guardians have laid about before us. Gallows…" said Rsalis, putting his hand on Gallows knee and giving it a small squeeze. ".. You're the missing link between the child and the corrupted. That's why, in the direst of occasion, you could access your power. You see, Gallows, your wings are an extension of your soul. The more passion you feel the brighter and more vibrant your wings become. Hm, here's something interesting. Those wings on your back could have been formed into anything at all by you. But you chose wings, why is that?" inquired Rsalis, removing his hand from Gallows' knee and leaning back, placing his arms behind him as a brace. Gallows thought about this question very deeply and then, the answer came to him in the form of a memory he had held deep inside.

"I remember when I saw Virginia nearly get crushed by that debris, I was powerless.. My mind screamed for my body to move, but, like a blob, I just stood there and watched dumbly as Jet saved her life. I was jealous and yet I was grateful. He was like her angel.. But, _I _wanted to be her angel! I wanted to be the one that held her in the midst of her nightmares… But I couldn't because of my weakness… My own shortcomings. That memory came back to me as I started to fall. I thought "I want to be her saving grace… I want to be, just this once, her angel… her savior." And then the wings appeared…" finished Gallows, touching his wings gingerly.

"Gnshinurca, that is not the only reason, but I will not push you for the answer that you have hidden within your heart. We are here because you are on the brink of death. But, do not fear! You will live to see another sun rise. But there is much I must tell you. When you were born, our fates were already braided together. I was to guide you though hell in exchange for a vessel to use. But it goes deeper than that. You see, gods can die, but the thing is, we're reborn with the memories from our past. I wanted to see first hand, how a demi-human felt in the heat of battle…. And passion. Ironically, your love is my wife's vessel. Hm. My wife and I have been reincarnated as such for many years. Our love grows stronger every day. And, therein lies the beauty of love. It can span years, decades, generations.. even eternity."

Gallows eyes lit up, for the first time he understood it all. Time, life, death.. EVERYTHING, but then, like a sweet dream, it slipped from the fingers of his mind and sailed down the stream of time.

"You mean that destiny has a way of reviving everything?" asked Gallows, trying his best to sum up what he had heard.

Rsalis nodded his confirmation and stood up slowly.

"We will die, my wife and I, but we will be reborn as much more intelligent beings. Your memories live within me, just as Virginia's live within Rnaia's. In the same token, my memories lie within you. But, I guess the same could be said of all deities. So, live my child, and create memories that will live on for eternity… and…" Rsalis smiled and extended his hand for Gallows to take. "Don't do anything that I would not do…" Gallows laughed and took the God of Death's hand.

"Good Luck… my child." Spoke Rsalis softly, kissing Gallows on the lips softly. Gallows blinked as the god started to fade.

"Make me proud and have many children!" Laughed Rsalis, as the last part of him faded from view.

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Shane looked out the window nervously as Halle cooked her famous stew.

"You know, Shane, lazing around will not bring you brother home any sooner. Come and help with this stew. Make sure to not let the rice stick to the bottom." Cackled Halle as she stood from the sitting position that she was in and walked toward the door.

"Okay.. But what are you going to do grandma?" Asked Shane, taking over Halle's job of stirring the stew.

"I'm going to welcome our hero home.." said Halle with a genuine smile.

"You mean… Gallows is ALIVE?" exclaimed Shane, trying hard to contain his joy.

"Yes, and from now on you shall call him buy his true name… Gnshinurca Carradine." Finished Halle, turning her back on an overjoyed Shane and walking out to greet the quartet of Drifters that were entering the gate.

Virginia glared at Halle as she dismounted the horse and tied it to a post.

(She still is angry at me for sending Gallows out…I don't blame her.. But, it had to be done..)

Halle hobbled over to the black horse and had to stifle a cry of pity when she saw a bloodied Gallows leaning against the horses nervous head.

Virginia's eyes locked with hers as she draped a blanket over Gallows' shoulders and signaled for the others help. (This is your fault…) said the young woman's fervent eyes

"Gallows needs medical attention, may we use the closest house to treat his wounds? I don't want to move him around to much.." said Virginia, scooting in a little closer to Gallows in order to establish a firmer center of gravity.

"Yes, please follow me." said Halle, motioning them toward the nearest establishment.

Clive looked at Jet, who was trying to keep Gallows' head up and gave him a smile that somehow affected BOTH of his teammates. Clive, who had most of Gallows weight on his shoulder, shifted into a more comfortable position and took Gallows to the appointed home.

Thankfully, the occupants of the said home were out on a pilgrimage so the bed was free and there was plenty of room to move around. Having laid Gallows on the bed, they turned around, almost at the same time, and looked at Halle. For the first time, Halle seemed uneasy.

" If you will please wait outside I can.." started Halle, only to be interupted by an exasperated growl.

"NO! I will NOT wait outside!" Barked Virginia, stamping up to Halle and glaring at her.

(Respect be DAMNED! She sent me out once and Gallows nearly did not make it! Never again!)

"He matters more to me then he EVER will to you!" she said, jabbing a finger angrily toward Gallows' innate form. "And I will stay in here, the others can go out if they want to, but damn it, he's MY responsibility too, both as a leader AND a friend!" finished Virginia, dropping her hand down to her side, still glaring at Halle menacingly.

"Very well, you may stay in here. But, we can't have people crowding around here… That will not help Gnshinurca's recovery.." replied Halle calmly, although her eyes gave her true emotion of ill-ease.

Virginia's eyes softened at Halle's words and she nodded her head.

"What do I need to get to help you out?" asked Virginia as Clive and Jet exited the building.

"Well, we will need some boiled water for starters. I will gather the medicinal herbs. Please go and fetch a pot from Shane and fill it to the rim with water and we will work from there.

Virginia once again nodded and exited the building to get the supplies.

"My foolish grandson…" chuckled Halle as she walked over to the bed that Gallows was on.

"You're just to much for an old lady like myself." She chortled as she pushed a strand of hair from his forehead. Gallows' lips twitched into a small smile and then fell back into a frown. Halle shook her head and walked to the supply shed. It was time for her to pay her debt to Gnshinurca.

Thirty minutes had produced a strong smell of fermenting grain, a very dizzy Virginia and a highly amused Halle.

"Gee… This stuff could wake the DEAD!" groaned Virginia, fanning the vapor away from her nose and toward Gallows. Halle chuckled a little and started to wash the blood from Gallows' wounds.

"Heh. It's been in the family for generations. And trust me, all those generations were heavy sleepers.."

Virginia raised her eyebrow to this and then chuckled a little herself.

"Gallows is a heavy sleeper… It would take a small earthquake to wake him up…" she said, wringing out a clean, warm rag and handing it to Halle.

"I take it you have had many sleepless nights watching my grandson?" smiled Halle with a smile that made her look and feel ten years younger. To this ,Virginia blushed and turned around, using washing the rag as an excuse to hide her red face.

"I… I had nightmares.. and his snoring kept me awake!" stuttered Virginia, turning around, a trace of a blush still on her face. Halle closed her eyes, took in a deep breath, and slowly shook her head back and forth.

"You know, denying how you feel for him will not make the feeling go away.. In fact it will make the feeling stronger…. " She opened her eyes and locked them with Virginia's. "Why not finish cleaning him up? Who knows? Maybe your touch will bring him around quicker.." snickered the old lady, throwing the rag to Virginia, who caught it in mid-air effortlessly.

"And what will you do? You're the one that started this…" said Virginia softly, a tone of accusation creeping into her voice. Halle walked past her and was halfway out the door before she spoke.

"The Eve of Reaping was coming and we had heard that there was some unrest at the ruins. Had Gnshinurca NOT been successful at freeing the imprisoned spirits, the closest colony, which is ours, would be claimed instead. I did not choose Gnshinurca for that mission because I hated him, I chose him because I believed in his spirit." She turned around and gave Virginia a cutting look of her own.

" A man free of spirit but bound to destiny" Was what the ancient parchments foretold. Gnshinurca fit those requirements…. As did his father… But unfortunately, Roka was not strong enough to break the chains that held his cursed soul…" and with that, she turned back around and exited, leaving Virginia and Gallows alone.

Virginia walked over to bed and sat down beside Gallows.

"Hey.." She said, running her hand through his hair slowly, stopping to untangle it from time to time. "When are you going to wake up? We were supposed to talk and finish what we started.." she smiled, washing his face with the hand that was not tangled in his mane.

"Well.." she said after a moment of not getting a response, "You better wake up soon or you might miss the…." Her face fell and she laid her head down on his chest, praying that she would hear a steady heartbeat, and was happy to find that it was there.

"Gallows… Please don't leave me…" she whispered, rubbing her cheek against his chest and wrapping the arm holding the rag around his neck

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Gallows stood on a rivers edge and watched as Virginia walked on the water toward him, her long, unbound hair flowing freely behind her.

"Gallows…Please don't leave me…" she said desperately, reaching her hand toward him, standing right in the middle of the river. Gallows started to walk toward her, ignoring the fact that, he too was walking on water. Virginia took his now extended hand and pulled him close.

"It is time to come home…" and with that, she rested her head on his chest, threw one arm around his neck and ran her fingers through his hair as they slowly started to sink into the river, feeling no fear or apprehension at all.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Gallows awoke to the pressure of Virginia lying on his chest and wrapped his good arm around her, causing her to start and then relax, her breath coming out in warm puffs on his chest.

"I guess we have a lot of catching up to do.." whispered Gallows, kissing the top of her head. Virginia smiled as she pushed herself up and looked into his eyes.

"I suppose we do…" she whispered back, pressing her lips against his, feeling to shy to do much else.

And yes, they had much to discuss.

But, that my friends, is another story….

**__**

Ending note: Okay, I want to say right now that this is NOT the true ending, case in point, this is the edited ending. I was not going to bump this story to a rated R rating, ESPECIALLY since this is the last chapter. I will put a link to it either on this page, later, on or in my BIO page. If you want to know the true ending BEFORE I post it on the other site, please feel free to e-mail me and I will be more than happy to send it to you. Similarly, if you would like to know Deleted scenes (And yes, there were just some scenes that were either to gruesome or to explicit to be posted). Bloopers (Yes, they are somewhat amusing and I can't post those up either…). And character interviews (Again, TOS forbids me to post anything of that nature)

E-mail me and I will send them to you.

And now for the Thank You Section.

Black Waltz 0: Thank you so much for honoring me with all of those shining reviews and comments. I also want to thank you for giving me confidence when I felt this story was not good enough. (And, when compared to your story, I still do not think that it is all that great) . Also, all the conversations we had pertaining to religion, parapsychology and philosophy gave me plenty of inspiration.

Teefa85: Words can not describe how happy I am when I get a review from you! They were always so full of encouragement and kind words that I felt as if I just had to write good to keep those great comments coming in. Also, your sense of humor often had me rolling. I simply adore how you integrated you Muses into the reviews. Oh, and I never forgot that you were my first reviewer when I first came to and posted "Beside You". Thank you.

Jurie: It was so refreshing to find someone out there that liked Gallows just as much as I did. You don't know how inspired I became after reading your beautiful story. I also enjoyed getting e-mails from you, namely because they were just so amusing or so thought provoking. You have a lot of heart, please never lose that or cheapen it, for a kind, brave heart is rarer than gold these days.

My Husband: You were there when I felt the need to cry and you inspired me with your loving touch and kind embrace. You are my Vērus Angelus and I love you.

Draco675: Yeah, you know who you are, you silly behemoth! You know I love ya! You were always there to offer advice, encouragement, and even a good laugh or four. I would not have posted this if not for you. Thank you, oh Dragon one.. Oh, and try NOT to get your Drow killed again ,K? thnx….

ArchAngel: You always brightened my day with your comments. You also helped me with all the discussions we had about the astral plane. You were also my inspiration for making Gallows my angel.

Thank you so much, my friend, may the gods guide you.


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